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Dentists may be able to diagnose diabetes

Category: Diabetes

Aside from HbA1c testing, a trip to the dentist may be one of the easiest ways for individuals to find out if they have type 2 diabetes. A new study published in the Journal of Dental Research has determined that dentists may be in a good position to diagnoses the condition.

The diabetes epidemic is continuing to grow at a rapid rate. While early diagnosis can help individuals resolve the condition quickly, few people are given this early warning. However, many of the earliest symptoms may be apparent to dentists, which led the Columbia University researchers to see if oral care providers could give more people this early warning.

Researchers had dentists administer a number of tests to 600 patients who had never been diagnosed with diabetes before but had risk factors for the condition. The results of the study showed that doctors were often able to identify those who had diabetes or prediabetes simply based on the presence of periodontal disease, which is an early symptom of diabetes.

The team said that their findings could help more people with prediabetes avoid developing the full condition through early diagnosis.