Dentists Can Help Detect Undiagnosed Diabetes, Study Argues

Key TakeawaysDentists might help patients learn of undiagnosed diabetesA finger-prick blood test revealed that more than 1 in 3 dental patients had diabetes or prediabetesThe test doesn’t require fasting and returns results in as little as six minutes.THURSDAY, March 5, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Dentists might be able to help detect diabetes among their patients with a simple chairside test, a new study says.A finger-prick blood test taken during dental exams found that more than 1 of 3 dental patients had elevated blood sugar levels consistent with either diabetes or prediabetes, researchers will report in the April issue of the Journal of Dentistry.None of these patients reported a history of diabetes prior to the blood test, researchers said.“The findings suggest that dental visits may offer a valuable opportunity to identify those at risk of diabetes, particularly in older patients, those with higher BMI and people with gum disease,” researcher Dr. Giuseppe Mainas said in a news release. He’s a periodontal specialist and research associate at King’s College London in the U.K.(BMI, or Body Mass Index, is a measure of body fat based on height and weight.)For the study, researchers had more than 900 patients undergoing a dental exam also take a hemoglobin A1C blood test. The test measures sugar levels in the blood in as little as six minutes, and doesn’t require patients to fast.About 29% of the patients had blood sugar levels indicating prediabetes, and 7% had full-blown diabetes, researchers found.“When the test reveals high levels of (hemoglobin A1C), patients can then see their general practitioner to investigate further,” said lead researcher Mark Ide, a professor of periodontology at King’s College London.“This is something they might not have done without having the dental screening,” Ide said. “Most of the patients in our study were surprised that they had elevated (hemoglobin A1C) levels and had no idea they might have prediabetes or diabetes.”Results also showed that higher blood sugar levels were found in patients with more severe gum disease, highlighting a link between gum disease and metabolic health.“The relationship between gum disease and metabolic health is bidirectional ... as widely established by previous research,” said senior researcher Luigi Nibali, director of periodontology at King’s College London.“The inflammatory process can change the metabolic system, and the metabolic system impacts inflammation further,” he said. “Gum disease can lead to complications of diabetes, and visa-versa.”Researchers next want to explore use of the blood test in other health care settings.“We would also like to investigate how other lifestyle factors, such as diet, affect (blood sugar levels) and gum disease,” Mainas said.More informationThe American Diabetes Association has more on diabetes and gum disease.SOURCES: King’s College London, news release, March 3, 2026; Journal of Dentistry, April 2026 .What This Means For YouA blood test taken as part of a dental exam might help expose undiagnosed diabetes..Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Dentists Can Help Detect Undiagnosed Diabetes, Study Argues

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