Diagnosing Diabetes and Pre-Diabetes at the Dentist: One in four people in the United States have type 2 diabetes or are pre-diabetic. They do not know it.
Seeing your dentist every six months, as recommended, might one day help in an earlier diagnosis for those with undiagnosed diabetes or even pre-diabetes. Having missing teeth and deep periodontal pockets might lead to an early diagnosis of diabetes, which could lead to the prevention of some of the serious side effects of diabetes, such as stroke, heart disease, kidney and eye complications. Through early diagnosis, lifestyle changes could be implemented that could alter the course of the disease, and possibly prevent the diagnosis of diabetes at a later date if one is told that they are headed down the diabetic road.
A study was undertaken by researchers at the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, and the results were published in the Journal of Dental Research. This study involved approximately 600 patients who visited a dental facility in Northern Manhattan. The participants were 30 years old or older (if Hispanic or non-white) and 40 years old or older (if non-Hispanic and white). None of these participants had ever been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes prior to the study. There were 530 patients with at least one risk factor reported by the patient – high cholesterol, high blood pressure (hypertension), obesity, simply overweight or a family history of diabetes. Five hundred and thirty patients received a periodontal exam and an A1C test. These patients were required to return for a fasting blood glucose test, the true test for a diagnosis of diabetes or pre-diabetes.
The test results were effective in identifying the patients who were walking around with diabetes without their knowledge and also effective in identifying those who were considered pre-diabetic.
“Periodontal disease is an early complication of diabetes,” stated Dr. Ira Lamster, Dean of the College of Dental Medicine, and senior author on the research paper results. Dr. Evanthia Lalla is an associate professor at the College of Dental Medicine and was a lead author on the paper. The study was supported by a research grant from Colgate Palmolive, and the authors of the study report no potential financial or other conflicts.
Early diagnosis is the key when it comes to diabetes. The earlier a person learns of their condition, the earlier they can make the necessary changes in their life to prevent a diagnosis of diabetes or receive treatment when they do receive a diagnosis of diabetes.
People tend to see the dentist because they want to keep their teeth, and they want to have a nice, white smile. A dentist’s office would be another place where a serious health condition, such as diabetes, could be caught in its earliest stages. No steps are in place at this time to begin this sort of testing for diabetes or pre-diabetes in a dental environment, but it would be another step in the right direction for the early diagnosis of diabetes.
