An audit investigating the management of diabetic patients in general practice, in relation to periodontal health Rana Wali Sophina Mahmoud Amrit Chaggar Yasamin Hamrang-Yousefi Dominic Hurst Dental Update 2024 46:1, 707-709.
Research has found a close relationship between the disease progression of diabetes and periodontitis. The aim of this audit is to determine the compliance of general dental practitioners (GDPs) with recommendations from the Delivering Better Oral Health toolkit (2014) for the management of diabetic patients. The final section of this article discusses the factors that affect the prognosis of immediate natural tooth bridges. Providing information on prognosis is an important part of the consent process; this includes patient factors and clinician factors.
CPD/Clinical Relevance: There is evidence of a bi-directional relationship between diabetes and periodontitis.
Article
Diabetes is an ever-increasing concern amongst patients and medical practitioners. It has received substantial media coverage aiming to raise awareness of its debilitating and potentially life-threatening complications.1 Research has also revealed the bi-directional relationship between periodontal disease and diabetes.2 Our role in the management of these patients has thus become ever-important to our holistic patient care.
Evidence in the UK suggests diabetic control is often poor, with only about 35.9% (2012–2013 National Diabetes Audit figures) of all patients achieving the targets for blood glucose, cholesterol and blood pressure that are recommended to reduce their risk of developing complications.
A retrospective audit was conducted at four different northeast London training dental practices, within the Redbridge, Barking and Dagenham borough, where a proportion of patients suffer from Type 2 Diabetes and its complications. The prevalence of diabetes in this area is high at 10%, compared to the national average of 8.6% (Public Health England, 2016).3
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