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Defining Quality
in Oral Health Care
 
 
Oral Health
in Aging America

 

 

Periodontal
Disease & Diabetes

 

 

Early Childhood
Dental Care

 

 

Oral Health & The Body

 

Periodontal Disease & Diabetes

Diabetes and periodontal disease are two common chronic diseases that are reaching epidemic proportions in America, and they have a critical impact on each other. More needs to be done to promote prevention and early detection to reduce the risk factors and complications of both diseases.

Nearly 21 million Americans have diabetes, which now represents 10% of the $2 trillion dollar health care cost in the U.S. Diabetes increases susceptibility to infections, which places diabetics at significantly higher risk of periodontal diseases. Yet often diabetes is poorly controlled and compounded by unhealthy lifestyle. Nearly two-thirds of our population is overweight, with obesity itself a rising epidemic.

Providers and patients need to gain awareness on how to effectively manage and prevent diabetes and periodontal disease in order to improve the overall health of diabetic and pre-diabetic patients.

In 2007, the 2nd annual IOH conference in Seattle, WA focused on this theme.

 

Calls to Action

In 2007, the 2nd annual IOH conference brought together nationally recognized experts in oral health care, diabetes education, and health care policy. The event provided important data on the challenges of these diseases, as well as solutions that health care professionals can integrate into their practices, programs and policies.

  • Promote education about the connection between oral health and systemic health
    Emphasize the correlating factors to practitioners and the public, employers and policymakers.
  • Expand the scope of dental patient care
    Include more focus on overall health, and raise patient expectations about how their dentist can support them.
  • Define the value proposition of integrating dental and medical care
    Motivate paradigm shifts in health care practices and policies.
  • Motivate the public to drive change in health care delivery
    Educate patients on the benefits of integrated care. Public demand for cross-discipline treatment plans can provide incentive that drives change in the health care system.
  • Make people want what they need
    Oral health providers need to be innovative in communicating with patients, motivating them to focus on value over cost.
  • Introduce more periodontal care into daily dental practice
    Increase provider expertise in preventing, detecting and managing periodontal disease.
  • Promote disease prevention
    Assess lifestyle risk factors that contribute to periodontal disease and diabetes, and support patients in making healthy lifestyle changes.
 

In the News

 

Related Resources
 

Related IOH Events

2007 Conference Whitepaper

2007 Conference Speakers
 

"As dental professionals, we need to make sure we are a full partner in the management of periodontal disease as well as the management of diabetes. We see patients probably as often, if not more often than physicians. We can have a major effect on the control of diabetes. It’s not practicing
medicine, it’s practicing good dentistry."

-- Dr. Robert Genco, DDS, PhD

 
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