Dental Tribune U.S. Edition

HYGIENE TRIBUNE The World’s Dental Hygiene Newspaper · U.S. Edition AD PRSRTSTD U.S.Postage PAID Permit#764 SouthFlorida,FL g DT page 3A upage 1Du page 1B u page 1C Snoring and sleep apnea Hygienists play a big role in screening patients at risk of sleep apnea. Biomimetic dentistry Biomimetics in restorative dentistry seeks to return tissues to full function. ICOI heads for Chicago Implant specialists attend 14th annual Implant Prosthetic Summer Symposium. The San Diego skyline and so much more awaits those who are heading to the Academy of General Dentisty Annual Meeting July 27–31. (Photo/San Diego Convention Center, courtesy of Corporate Helicopters) g See page 10A Head west to San Diego for the AGD meeting In a recent study, “Identifica- tion of unrecognized diabetes and pre-diabetes in a dental setting,” in the Journal of Dental Research, researchers at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine found that dental visits represented a chance to intervene in the diabetes epidemic by identifying individuals with diabetes or pre-diabetes who are unaware of their condition. The study sought to develop and evaluate an identification protocol for high blood sugar levels in dental patients and was supported by a research grant from Colgate-Palmolive. The authors report no potential financial or other conflicts. “Periodontal disease is an early complication of diabetes, and about 70 percent of U.S. adults see a den- tist at least once a year,” said Dr. Ira Lamster, dean of the College of Den- tal Medicine, and senior author on the paper. “Prior research focused on identification strategies relevant to medical settings. Oral health-care settings have not been evaluated before, nor have the contributions of oral findings ever been tested pro- spectively.” For this study, researchers recruit- ed approximately 600 individuals visiting a dental clinic in Northern Manhattan who were 40 years old or older (if non-Hispanic white) and 30 years old or older (if Hispanic or non-white), and had never been told they have diabetes or pre-diabetes. Approximately 530 patients with at least one additional self-reported diabetes risk factor (family history of diabetes, high cholesterol, hyperten- sion or overweight/obesity) received a periodontal examination and a fin- ger stick, point-of-care hemoglobin A1c test. In order for the investiga- tors to assess and compare the per- formance of several potential identi- fication protocols, patients returned for a fasting plasma glucose test, which indicates whether an indi- vidual has diabetes or pre-diabetes. Researchers found that in this at- risk dental population, a simple algo- rithm composed of only two dental parameters (number of missing teeth and percentage of deep periodontal pockets) was effective in identify- ing patients with unrecognized pre- diabetes or diabetes. The addition of the point-of-care A1c test was of significant value, further improving the performance of this algorithm. “Early recognition of diabetes has been the focus of efforts from medi- cal and public health colleagues for years, as early treatment of affected individuals can limit the develop- ment of many serious complica- tions,” said Dr. Evanthia Lalla, an associate professor at the College of Dental Medicine, and the lead author on the paper. “Relatively simple life- style changes in pre-diabetic individ- uals can prevent progression to frank diabetes, so identifying this group of individuals is also important. Our Sinus lift referral protocol Researchers at the New York Uni- versity College of Dentistry (NYUCD) recently surveyed otolaryngologists from New York State to help estab- lish a referral protocol before per- forming a maxillary sinus lift. The study, “New York state ear, nose, and throat specialists’ views on pre-sinus lift referral,” by M. T. Cote, S.L. Segelnick, A. Rastogi and R. Schoor, appeared in the February 2011 issue of the Journal of Peri- odontology and assessed the need to consult an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist in the pretreatment work-up. Results showed that the majority (58.7 percent) of ENT specialists rec- ommended a CT scan be done before sinus elevation surgery, even in the absence of symptoms. The greatest concerns of the ENT specialist that would warrant a referral were prior sinus surgery, severe sinus inflam- PRSRTSTD U.S.Postage PAID SanAntonio,TX Permit#1396 Dentists can identify undiagnosed diabetes July 2011 www.dental-tribune.com Vol. 6, No. 12 DENTAL TRIBUNE The World’s Dental Newspaper · U.S. Edition g DT page 2A HYGIENE TRIBUNE The World’s Dental Hygiene Newspaper · U.S. Edition CosmetiC tRiBUNe the World’s Cosmetic Dentistry Newspaper · U.s. edition IMPLANT TRIBUNE The World’s Implant Newspaper · U.S. Edition DentalTribuneAmerica 116West23rdStreet Suite#500 NewYork,N.Y.10011 AGD EDition iACA EDition