Many adults with diabetes have poor awareness of oral care and health complications associated with condition, and are receiving limited advice from healthcare professionals, according to a new U.K. study (British Dental Journal, September 23, 2011). And many patients think their dentists should screen for the disease.
Researchers at the University of Warwick in Coventry, U.K., wanted to investigate the oral health awareness and oral hygiene of patients with diabetes, as well as their attitudes toward general dental practitioners offering diabetes screening. Some 229 adults with diabetes who attended 14 general medical practices in Warwickshire responded to a questionnaire about how often they saw a dentist and how much they brushed their teeth and flossed.
The majority (79.8%) had visited a dentist once or twice a year. But oral care varied: 67.2% reported brushing at least twice a day, whereas only 15.3% flossed daily, the researchers reported.
Awareness of oral health risks was limited: 69.1% had never received any oral health advice related to their diabetes. And more than half (53.5%) of those responding thought dentists should screen for diabetes.
The study results showed the need for training and advice for both healthcare professionals and patients with diabetes concerning the importance of good oral health, the authors concluded.
