Photo Credit: Dental Town
A recent research paper came out in the September 2013 edition of the Australian Dental Journal on the effects of non-surgical periodontal treatment on HBA1c levels in patients with Type 2 diabetes. The conclusion of this research paper stated that non-surgical periodontal treatment was associated with a substantial reduction in HBA1c levels.
One of the biggest health concerns in our society is Type 2 diabetes and the complications that comes from that disease. Diabetes not only costs the individual an enormous monetary amount on healthcare expenses, but it is also one of the biggest life disruptors in our society. And with the current obesity epidemic, “diabesity” is becoming an ever-pressing concern: “By some estimates, the total number of individuals with obesity-induced diabetes will escalate to 366 million worldwide by 2030, with an 8-10 year reduction in their life expectancy.”
Just last week in my practice, I had a 72 year-old female patient at her checkup visit tell me that she was no longer on her medications for diabetes. She had been on diabetes medications for the last 25 years. She underwent advanced periodontal therapy and advanced home care four months prior to this visit, and just recently her physician took her off her meds due to the reduction of her A1c levels.
Now, I’m not saying that eliminating oral inflammation is the only way to manage diabetes. But it is being profoundly established that oral inflammation plays a key role in most inflammatory diseases, and that it has a profound impact on diabetes. With diabetes becoming so prevalent in our society, the medical and dental teams have to work together to get oral inflammation off the table as a risk factor for diabetes and diabetic health complications.
By working with this patient’s physician and helping to get oral inflammation off the table as a complication for her, we were able to reduce the costs and complications of this disease in her life.
This can happen in your practice every day.
If you’ve had similar success stories in your own practice, please share your stories below!
One of the biggest health concerns in our society is Type 2 diabetes and the complications that comes from that disease. Diabetes not only costs the individual an enormous monetary amount on healthcare expenses, but it is also one of the biggest life disruptors in our society. And with the current obesity epidemic, “diabesity” is becoming an ever-pressing concern: “By some estimates, the total number of individuals with obesity-induced diabetes will escalate to 366 million worldwide by 2030, with an 8-10 year reduction in their life expectancy.”
Just last week in my practice, I had a 72 year-old female patient at her checkup visit tell me that she was no longer on her medications for diabetes. She had been on diabetes medications for the last 25 years. She underwent advanced periodontal therapy and advanced home care four months prior to this visit, and just recently her physician took her off her meds due to the reduction of her A1c levels.
Now, I’m not saying that eliminating oral inflammation is the only way to manage diabetes. But it is being profoundly established that oral inflammation plays a key role in most inflammatory diseases, and that it has a profound impact on diabetes. With diabetes becoming so prevalent in our society, the medical and dental teams have to work together to get oral inflammation off the table as a risk factor for diabetes and diabetic health complications.
By working with this patient’s physician and helping to get oral inflammation off the table as a complication for her, we were able to reduce the costs and complications of this disease in her life.
This can happen in your practice every day.
If you’ve had similar success stories in your own practice, please share your stories below!
View the Original Article and video by Dr. Dan Sidelar here.
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