DENTAL NEWS
The Journal of the American Dental Association recently reported that patients with diabetes who received regular dental care were roughly 33% less likely to visit an emergency room or be hospitalized because of that disease.
The study appeared in the January 2012 issue is the latest among several that have associated dental care with better systemic health. Similar findings have emerged for cardiovascular disease, preterm birth, and other disorders.
Dental/Diabetes Debate Not Over
However, the report's lead author David Mosen, PhD, MPH, an affiliate investigator at Kaiser Permanente Northwest in Portland, Oregon, cautioned that the retrospective study could not prove that dental care directly reduced the patients' risk for a diabetic emergency. "We don't know if it's because of the dental care, or if it's just because people with good dental care also have good general healthcare," he said.
Nevertheless, Dr. Mosen said the researchers did use statistical methods to adjust for such factors as visits to primary care physicians, and still found a strong association with dental visits. Although the association does not prove causality, the relationship of diabetes to dental care is worth further investigation, said Dr. Mosen. In separate research, some evidence is emerging that inflammation from periodontal disease and affects glycemic control, he added.
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