Diabetes-related knowledge and sources of information among periodontal patients: is there a role for dental hygienists?

Purpose: Although there is a bidirectional relationship between periodontal disease and diabetes, little is known about the diabetes-related knowledge of periodontal patients. This study examines what patients with periodontal disease know about diabetes and its association with periodontitis. It also examines their sources of diabetes-related information.

A novel intraoral diabetes screening approach in periodontal patients: results of a pilot study.

Background: This pilot study examines whether a novel diabetes screening approach using gingival crevicular blood (GCB) could be used to test for hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) during periodontal visits.

Methods: Finger-stick blood (FSB) samples from 120 patients and GCB samples from those patients with adequate bleeding on probing (BOP) were collected on special blood collection cards and analyzed for HbA1c levels in a laboratory. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to measure correlation between FSB and GCB HbA1c values for 75 paired FSB and GCB samples.

The potential use of gingival crevicular blood for measuring glucose to screen for diabetes: an examination based on characteristics of the blood collection site.

Background: This study examined conditions under which gingival crevicular blood (GCB) could be used to obtain a useful glucose reading to screen for undiagnosed diabetes during routine dental visits.

Methods: GCB and capillary finger-stick blood (CFB) glucose readings obtained with a glucometer were compared for 46 patients recruited from an urban university dental clinic. Study participants were divided into two groups based on probing depth or bleeding on probing (BOP) at the site of collection of the GCB sample.