Periodontal therapy may lower blood sugar

Periodontal therapy may improve metabolic control--lower HbA1C--in diabetic patients, suggests research by the American Academy of Periodontology, Chicago.

The study results indicate that such therapy may reduce a diabetic patient's HbA1C count by as much as 20% at three and six months following treatment. According to the American Diabetes Association, HbA1C provides patients with a picture of their average blood sugar changes in the past two to three months and gives them a good idea of how well their diabetes treatment plan is working. A healthy HbA1C count is between the ranges of 4.0 to 6.0.

"Conventional treatment for chronic moderate generalized periodontitis, which included a simple, nonsurgical procedure called Scaling and Root Planing, lowered the study group's HbA1C count from 7.2 to 5.7," the study states. "This could significantly put diabetic patients who are just above the normal HbA1C range into the healthy range and reduce their risk of serious complications from diabetes."

"For a long time we've known that diabetic patients have a higher risk of developing periodontal disease compared to nondiabetics," says Kenneth A. Krebs, president of AAP. "The results of this study provide additional evidence about the other side of the equation: that periodontal treatment may affect metabolic control in diabetic patients who have periodontal disease. While we can't say periodontal treatment will definitely help, to date no reports indicate a harmful effect on a diabetic patient's metabolic control."

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