Does treatment for gum disease help people with diabetes control blood sugar levels?

This burning question has been answered by Cochrane Library, and is possibly the biggest news in dentistry in the last 5 years!

HbA1c is a long-term measure of how well a patient’s diabetes is being managed. It relates to how much sugar has collected upon the red blood cells over their twelve-week life span.

Periodontal disease, which is more common than you think, is a condition whereby the gums very slowly come away from the tooth. Accumulatively, this can end up being a very large surface area - up to as much as 25 square centimetres!

Long story short, this Cochrane review (the highest level of evidence available) indicates that treating the gums leads to better control of diabetes.

If you have diabetes or have a loved one that has, get yourself or them booked in for a checkup! Read the review below.

Best wishes,
Dr Tom Shumack
BSc, BDent (Hons)