Dental 4 Less, Periodontitis may be an early sign of type 2 diabetes
According to the latest data, diabetes affects approximately 422 million people worldwide, and this number is expected to increase.
In the United States, 29 million people live with the disease. Of these, over 8 million people have it but have not been diagnosed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC also estimate that 37 percent of American adults over the age of 20 have prediabetes.
New research – published in the journal BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care – suggests severe gum disease, or periodontitis, might be an early sign of diabetes.
The authors also suggest a simple finger stick diabetes screening procedure could be carried out in the dental office to avoid the adverse effects of leaving diabetes untreated.