Researchers at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine discovered that visits to the dentist increase the rate of detection of diabetes and pre-diabetes in individuals unaware of their condition. The study called “Identification of unrecognized diabetes and pre-diabeties in a dental setting was published in the July 2011 issue of the Journal of Dental Research.
About 70 percent of adults in the U.S. see a dentist at least once a year. Periodontal disease is also known to be an early manifestation of diabetes, says Dr. Ira Lamster, College of Dental Medicine dean, and senior author of the article. Previous studies have focused on identification strategies in the medical environment. Dental facilities have not been studied before with this aim. Oral tests have also not been tested in view of detecting diabetes and pre-diabetes.
The researchers enlisted around 600 respondents going to dental clinics in Northern Manhattan who were 40 years old and older (for non-Hispanic white) and 30 years old and older (for Hispanic or non-white). The patients have never been diagnosed of diabetes or pre-diabetes.
About 530 individuals with at least one self-indicated risk factor (high cholesterol, hypertension, obesity and weigh problems, family history, and hypertension) received both a dental care exam and a hemoglobin A1c fingerstick test. Researchers would be able to evaluate and compare the detection protocols after patients come back to the dentist for a fasting plasma glucose test, the exam that shows whether a person has pre-diabetes or diabetes.
Investigators discovered an algorithm with two dental parameters derived from the at-risk dental respondents. They assessed the number of missing teeth and the percentage of periodontal pockets, after which they were able to effectively identify those with undetected pre-diabetes or diabetes. Including the point-of-care, fingerstick A1c test was a huge factor, enhancing the effectivity of the algorithm.
Dr. Evanthia Lalla, an associate professor at College of Dental Medicine, also an author of the study, stressed the importance of early recognition of diabetes which has been the focus of many in the field of public health and medicine. Early treatment of diagnosed patients can reduced the development of other serious complications. Dr. Lalla also said that simple changes in lifestyle in pre-diabetic patients can stop the development of full blown diabetes. Identifying these individuals is crucial in the fight against diabetes. The research offer a simple measure that can be utilized by all dental care facilities.
According to a study in 2008, 4.6 million U.S. children did have dental checkups because they parents could not afford it. In 2006 only 38 percent of seniors are with dental insurance, according to a report by the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. Low-income, poor access to dental facilities, and an inability to have dental coverage in insurance hinder many people from oral health services, risking them to larger health concerns.
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