Dental Exam Can Be Crucial in Finding Diabetes

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http://www.cumc. columbia. edu/news/ in-vivo/february _2008/dental_ research. html

Dental Exam Can Be Crucial in Finding Diabetes

College of Dental Medicine and Mailman School of Public Health researchers have found that the dental exam may play a key role in diabetes diagnosis. “Diabetes has a reciprocal relationship with periodontal disease, the most common oral disease in adults. Adults with diabetes are more likely to have periodontal disease, and those with periodontal disease are more likely to have their diabetes out of control,” says Luisa N. Borrell, D.D.S., Ph.D., assistant professor of epidemiology at the Mailman School and dentistry at CDM.
The authors suggest using a combination of patient-derived information, (demographic, family history of diabetes, and self-reported hypertension and hypercholesterolemi a), and findings from a periodontal examination (pocket depth or level of clinical attachment) to assess the patient’s risk for diabetes. According to the American Dental Association, 60 percent of Americans have at least one dental check-up annually, so if dentists are able to identify patients at risk for the disease, they could refer them to a physician for diagnostic testing and appropriate treatment.
By doing so, dentists could make a positive impact on public health. Not only has the prevalence of diabetes in the United States increased steadily over the past 15 years, but evidence suggests that about 30 percent of such cases remain undiagnosed. “A couple of important trends in the U.S. population are going to force dentists and other oral health care personnel to play an active role in improving the health of the population,” Dr. Borrell says, citing increased diversity, aging, tooth retention, and the emerging link between oral disease and systemic conditions as examples.

Borrell LN, Kunzel C, Lamster IB, Lalla E. Diabetes in the Dental Office: Using NHANES III to estimate the probability of undiagnosed disease.
J Periodont Res 2007; 42: 559-565
This research was conducted with support from grants from the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research and the Robert
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As with previous National Defense Authorization Acts (NDAA), of 2006 and
2007, the 2008 NDAA did not address or correct the following issues--

-375,000 retirees with less than 50% disability denied CRDP
-327,000 retirees age 70 & 30 years still paying SBP premiums
(this provision left to take full effect in 2008)
-188,000 Chapter 61 with less than 20 years denied CRDP
(maybe 1/3 will qualify of CRSC)
- 55,000 widows denied relief from SBP/DIC
(they were allowed $50/month in 2008 phased in to add $10/month
over the next 5 years … the average offset is $800-$900/month)

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