Diabetes: Opening up the conversation

Author: Advanced Hygienist Nancy

Through continuous research and new-found connections between oral and systemic health, we as a collective of dental professionals are becoming more aware of the bidirectional link between diabetes and gum disease.

Although we may feel there is a time constraint in appointments to discuss everything with our patients, asking questions surrounding diabetes can easily be incorporated as part of your general health assessment/updates.

Simple questions such as asking if the patient has been tested for diabetes, or if they are aware of any family history of diabetes opens up the dialogue to then explain the links between diabetes and gum disease.

If you are aware that the patient is already living with diabetes, asking them if they have had their HbA1c levels assessed recently can allow you to see how well they are managing at the moment.

Here at RW Perio, we provide The Diabetes Check to patients who attend for a specialist assessment. This check consists of a finger prick test allowing us to assess HbA1c levels and signpost patients to a GP if we detect their glucose levels are a cause for further investigation.

Our specialists have had one case in particular who initially had a very high HbA1c level at 13.8%; following one round of NSPT and improved oral hygiene the patient had a new result of 5.2%. The patient had no idea they had an elevated blood glucose level to begin with and the fact that treating the periodontal disease had reversed the onset of diabetes is fantastic.

Patients with diabetes may not be aware of these links, but through education and advice form us in the dental community and from GPs, we can help to prevent and manage diabetes.