Screening for Diabetes in the Dental Office

In a recent study, dental patients 45 years and older who were unaware of their diabetic status had an evaluation for diabetes risk with the ADA Diabetes Risk Test and then an A1c test where the risk was elevated. Participants in the study with an A1c level of 5.7% or more were referred to their physicians for diagnosis. While a finger prick is usually used for a blood draw, the results of a 2002 study suggested that blood oozing during routine periodontal examination could also be used for diabetes screening in a dental office setting. Genco RJ, Schifferle RE, Dunfod RG, Falkner KL, Hsu WC and Balukjian J. Screening for diabetes mellitus in dental offices: A field trial. JADA 2014; 145 (1):57-64. 10.14219/jada.2013.7.