Chairside Glycemia Testing in Dental Clinics: A Promising Approach for Early Diabetes Detection, Study Finds

"Integrating point-of-care glucose testing into routine dental visits has the potential to enhance early detection and improve diabetes management in high-risk groups," the authors wrote in the Journal of the American Dental Association.

With diabetes becoming a global health concern, early detection and management are essential in preventing complications. Many individuals visit dental clinics more frequently than primary care providers, making oral health settings an ideal space for opportunistic screening. By incorporating chairside glycemia testing, dental professionals can help bridge the gap in diabetes diagnosis, especially among high-risk populations.

Against the above background, Nadia Laniado, Department of Dentistry, Jacobi Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Pelham Pkwy S, Bronx, NY, and colleagues aimed to evaluate the practicality of screening at-risk adult dental patients for abnormal blood glucose levels using a chairside finger-stick test to measure glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c).

For this purpose, the researchers conducted chairside HbA1c finger-stick testing on 260 high-risk adult patients, identified based on the American Diabetes Association and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Prediabetes Risk Test, who had no prior diabetes diagnosis. Descriptive statistics, and χ2 and Fisher exact tests, were used to analyze the relationships between HbA1c levels, risk scores, and participant characteristics. 

The study led to the following findings:

• Chairside testing identified undiagnosed prediabetes in 34.2% of patients.
• The study detected undiagnosed diabetes in 6.6% of patients.
• Postprocedure questionnaire responses indicated high acceptance and satisfaction with the testing.
• Six months after testing, 64.6% of patients with dysglycemia had followed up with their primary care provider.

The study showed that dental professionals play a crucial role in identifying undiagnosed prediabetes and diabetes by collaborating with physicians and healthcare providers. Chairside glucose testing in dental settings offers a practical and effective approach to early detection, making it a valuable public health strategy for high-risk patients.

"Integrating this screening method into routine dental care can enhance diabetes prevention and management, contributing to broader efforts in addressing the growing diabetes epidemic," the authors concluded.

Reference:

Laniado, N., Shah, P., Cloidt, M., Robles, E., Badner, V., & Sydney, E. (2025). Point-of-care glycemia testing in a safety-net dental care setting: A feasibility study. The Journal of the American Dental Association. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adaj.2025.01.006