Dr. Jeff Hummel, medical director of informatics for Comagine Health, recently contributed an article in the Utah Dental Association newsletter that examined the relationship between periodontal disease and diabetes.
The article shared how elevated blood sugar speeds up the progression of periodontal disease, which makes it harder to control .The same is also true in prediabetes, a condition in which a person’s blood sugar is elevated, not sufficiently enough to meet the diagnostic criteria for type 2 diabetes, but enough to accelerate periodontal disease.
As many see their dentist more frequently than a primary care physician, Dr. Hummel discusses using dental offices as a place to identify those at high risk for prediabetes and referring those patients to medical offices or community resources to receive further guidance in lifestyle changes. This would allow those patients to maintain dental and general health.
Comagine Health is part of the CDC-led National Diabetes Prevention Program, which helps prevent and delay type 2 diabetes by enrolling at-risk adults in evidence-based lifestyle change programs. We work closely with organizations in Oregon, New Mexico, Utah and Washington to build lifestyle change programs and reach those who need it most.
If you’re interested in learning more, please email DPPHelpDesk@comagine.org.