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People with severe periodontal disease may be at increased risk for developing diabetes, while those with gum disease who are already diabetic have a harder time controlling blood- sugar levels, researchers said.

Dentists outlined the link between periodontal disease, when infections and inflammation weaken the tissue around the teeth, and diabetes, one of the most common chronic conditions in adults, at the annual American Diabetes Association meeting Friday in San Francisco. Dental disease is one of the early warning signs of diabetes and its complications, they said.

People with periodontal disease are twice as likely to have insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes, as those without it, said George Taylor, associate professor of dentistry at the University of Michigan. Aggressively fighting the gum disease reduces blood sugar levels, which if untreated put patients at greater risk for kidney disease and death, he said.

"Just as periodontal disease makes diabetes worse, the reverse also appears to be true, with improvements in periodontal disease benefiting diabetes control," Taylor said in a statement. "We believe there is the potential that periodontal treatment can provide an increment in diabetes control and subsequently a reduction in the risk for diabetes complications," he said.

About 21 million Americans have diabetes, primarily the type 2 form that develops in adulthood and is linked to excess weight and a sedentary lifestyle. Diabetics don't properly produce or use the hormone insulin, which converts blood sugar to energy. As the sugar known as glucose builds up, it damages the kidneys, eyes, heart and nerves.

"One of the many complications of diabetes is a greater risk for periodontal disease," said Maria Ryan, director of clinical research at the School of Dental Medicine at Stony Brook University in New York. "If you have this oral infection and inflammation, as with any infection, it's much more difficult to control blood glucose levels."

Periodontal disease develops when plaque builds up on the teeth and hardens into tartar. The gums pull away from the teeth and form pockets where infections can fester. The condition, a major cause of tooth loss, can be hard to detect because it is usually painless.