About 30 million Americans have diabetes, and another 89 million are prediabetic. Diabetes has a significant relationship with periodontal disease. Diabetes lends to a compromised immune function, which becomes a key factor in patients with periodontitis, also known as gum disease. In our office, we’re interested in the optimal treatment of diabetic patients. When we first meet patients, we identify patients at risk for diabetes, even if they do not have a formal diagnosis. On occasion, we may provide an in-office test to assess for diabetes for at-risk patients. We refer patients to local physicians for diabetic control. We continually review… [ Read More ]

For years, implant dentists and surgeons have frowned on placing implants in diabetic patients that had poor diabetic control. But a recent study has shown that just because patients have diabetes doesn't mean they are not candidates for dental implants. In fact, when it came to the survival of dental implants in the study, there was no statistical difference between patients who had poorly controlled or well-controlled diabetes. The main reason for implant failure in diabetic patients is their relatively high risk for periodontal disease. Periodontal disease can affect the supporting tissues that anchor an implant. And without excellent control… [ Read More ]

Dr. Rafoth wrote the following summary of this article:  The American Journal of Cardiology and Journal of Periodontology Editors’ Consensus, Vincent E. Friedewald, et. al., 7/2009  The human organism is complex. Abnormalities of almost any of its parts or processes have profound effects on multiple other body areas, exemplified by the process of inflammation. In recent years, the immune system, once believed to be only a vital defense against infection and a promoter of healing—except in the instances of a few uncommon connective tissue disorders—is now recognized as a significant active participant in many chronic inflammatory diseases (ID), including hypertension, diabetes,… [ Read More ]