ObjectiveThe early diagnosis of (pre)diabetes mellitus is essential for the prevention of diabetes complications. It has been suggested that gum disease (periodontitis) might be an early complication of diabetes and may be a useful risk indicator for diabetes screening. Therefore, a dental office could be a good location for screening for (pre)diabetes in patients with periodontitis using a validated glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) dry spot analysis.Research design and methodsA total of 313 individuals from a university dental clinic participated. From 126 patients with mild/moderate periodontitis, 78 patients with severe periodontitis and 109 subjects without periodontitis, HbA1c values were obtained by the analysis of dry blood spots. Differences in mean HbA1c values and the prevalence of (pre)diabetes between the groups were analyzed.ResultsThe mild/moderate and severe periodontitis groups showed significantly higher HbA1c values (6.1%±1.4% (43 mmol/mol±15 mmol/mol) and 6.3%±1.3% (45 mmol/mol±15 mmol/mol), respectively) compared with the control group (5.7%±0.7% (39 mmol/mol±8 mmol/mol), p=0.003). In addition, according to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines for diagnosis, there was a significant over-representation of subjects with suspected diabetes (23% and 14%) and pre-diabetes (47% and 46%) in the severe periodontitis group and mild/moderate periodontitis groups, respectively, compared with the control group (10% and 37%, p=0.010). Notably, 18.1% of patients with suspected new diabetes were found among subjects with severe periodontitis compared with 9.9% and 8.5% among subjects with mild/moderate periodontitis and controls, respectively (p=0.024).ConclusionsThe dental office, with particular focus on patients with severe periodontitis, proved to be a suitable location for screening for (pre)diabetes; a considerable number of suspected new diabetes cases were identified. The early diagnosis and treatment of (pre)diabetes help to prevent more severe complications and benefit the treatment of periodontitis.

Objectives To identify predictors in patient profiles and to develop, internally validate, and calibrate a screening model for diabetes mellitus (DM) in patients with periodontitis in dental settings Materials and methods The study included 204 adult patients with periodontitis. Patients’ socio-demographic characteristics, general health status, and periodontal status were recorded as potential predictors. The diabetic status was considered the outcome, classified into no DM, prediabetes (pre-DM), or DM. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to develop the model. The performance and clinical values of the model were determined. Results Seventeen percent and 47% of patients were diagnosed with DM and pre-DM, respectively. Patients’ age, BMI, European background, cholesterol levels, previous periodontal treatment, percentage of the number of teeth with mobility, and with gingival recession were significantly associated with the diabetic status of the patients. The model showed a reasonable calibration and moderate to good discrimination with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.67 to 0.80. The added predictive values for ruling in the risk of DM and pre-DM were 0.42 and 0.11, respectively, and those for ruling it out were 0.05 and 0.17, respectively. Conclusions Predictors in patient profiles for screening of DM and pre-DM in patients with periodontitis were identified. The calibration, discrimination, and clinical values of the model were acceptable. Clinical relevance The model may well assist clinicians in screening of diabetic status of patients with periodontitis. The model can be used as a reliable screening tool for DM and pre-DM in patients with periodontitis in dental settings.