Dental Visits may serve as Opportunity for Early Detection of Undiagnosed Hyperglycemia: Study
A new study published in the Journal of Dentistry showed that dental visits represent a significant potential for early detection of undiagnosed hyperglycemia, since about one-third of patients in this secondary care dental environment had HbA1c readings in the diabetic or pre-diabetic range without being aware of their condition.
Both diabetes mellitus and periodontitis are chronic inflammatory diseases that are influenced by the host immune system and dysbiotic biofilm. While periodontal inflammation may exacerbate systemic glucose regulation, poor glycemic control causes the loss of periodontal tissue. Chairside point-of-care testing has made it possible to quickly examine hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), which is an indicator of long-term glycemic status, in dentistry settings.
This offers a chance for routine periodontal examinations to identify undetected hyperglycemia early. Assessing the relationship between chairside HbA1c readings and periodontitis might enhance screening, multidisciplinary treatment, and the avoidance of dental and systemic problems associated with diabetes. Therefore, this cross-sectional study evaluated the value of a chairside test for diabetes screening in a dental context and look into any possible relationships between periodontitis and HbA1c measured chairside.
911 patients who took part in an oral, dental, and craniofacial biobank at King's College London (United Kingdom) provided the data. This research collected self-reported dental and medical histories. The HbA1c test was performed chairside and linked to clinical data on periodontal disease.
Out of the 911 patients, 82.7% had stage I to IV periodontitis, 11.3% had gingivitis, and 6.0% had periodontal health. 104 people in all self-reported having type II diabetes. HbA1c was 5.71 ± 0.94% on average. 58 (7.3%) were in the "diabetes range," and 227 (28.7%) were in the pre-diabetes range, excluding self-reported diabetics.
When gingivitis (5.51 ± 0.91%), periodontitis (5.76 ± 0.97%), and periodontal health (5.43 ± 0.51%) were diagnosed, the HbA1c levels rose (p=0.004). According to adjusted linear regression, there was a marginal correlation for periodontal diagnosis and a substantial correlation (p<0.001) between age and HbA1c.
When self-reported diabetics were excluded, age revealed comparable results. Significant relationships with age and BMI were verified by logistic regression (HbA1c <5.7% vs. ≥5.7%) (p=0.038), although periodontal diagnosis was not statistically significant (p=0.070). Overall, there was a marginal correlation between periodontitis and elevated HbA1c levels.
Source:
Ide, M., Mainas, G., Kansagra, N., Al-Zaeim, I., Ang, R. N., Owen, D. R., Ghuman, M., Cook, R. J., & Nibali, L. (2026). Association between HbA1c chairside values and periodontitis. Journal of Dentistry, 106563,. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2026.106563
