Implementing targeted diabetes testing in dental settings for high-risk patients may be a feasible and largely accepted strategy to diagnose individuals sooner. The study was recently published in the Journal of the American Dental Association.
Dental professionals may play a key role in identifying undiagnosed prediabetes and diabetes, as many high-risk dental patients without a diagnosis showed abnormal blood sugar levels in tests, the authors wrote.
"Screening is pivotal for the early detection, prevention, and management of diabetes, and the dental care setting, where chairside testing is a viable strategy, may be an important venue in confronting the diabetes epidemic," wrote the authors, led by Dr. Nadia Laniado, MPH, MS, of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (JADA, March 6, 2025).
This observational study included 243 adult patients receiving routine dental care at the Jacobi Medical Center in New York from December 2022 to March 2023. A risk assessment tool gathered data on diabetes risk factors, including age, sex, family medical history, high blood pressure, physical activity, and obesity, they wrote.
Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) testing was performed using a single-drop finger-stick blood sample. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze associations between HbA1c levels, risk scores, and participant characteristics. After their dental visit, participants completed a survey on their screening experience to assess acceptability and perceived barriers.
HbA1c test results indicated that 34.2% of participants had undiagnosed prediabetes, and 6.6% had undiagnosed diabetes. Among patients with a primary care provider (PCP), 78.3% had HbA1c levels in the prediabetes range and 68.8% in the diabetes range, they wrote.
Furthermore, all participants found the test convenient, were pleased with the experience, and trusted the results. Regarding discomfort, 3.7% reported the test was painful, while the rest of the participants said the test was not painful. At a six-month follow-up, 64.6% reported visiting their PCP for a consultation.
The study, however, had limitations. Misclassification and recall bias may have affected self-reported diabetes status, height, and weight measurements, the authors added.
"For many vulnerable patients, the dentist may be their only point of contact with the health care system, and, as evidenced, this simple diagnostic test has the potential to identify those with undiagnosed prediabetes and diabetes," Laniado and colleagues wrote.
