Most states have not yet reached national targets set for dental health care in patients with diabetes, or have not made significant improvements in the past 5 years—a finding that “underscore(s) the need to increase awareness and support for oral health care among adults with diabetes,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Only seven states thus far have reached the national health objective for 2010 of increasing to at least 71% the proportion of people with diabetes who have annual dental examinations. And only four states and the District of Columbia made significant improvements between 1999 and 2004 (MMWR 2005:54:1181–3).
Adults with diabetes have both a higher prevalence of periodontal disease and more severe forms of the disease. And periodontal disease has been associated with development of glucose intolerance and poor glycemic control among adults with diabetes, the CDCsaid.
The CDC analyzed data from the state-based telephone surveys that were conducted in 1999 and 2004 as part of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
Participants in the telephone survey were asked how long it had been since they last visited a dentist or a dental clinic for any reason.
The participants who identified themselves as dentate and diabetic and who provided information about their dental visit history—approximately 21,000 respondents—were included in the data analysis.
Nationally, a median of 67% reported in the 2004 survey that they had a dental visit during the preceding 12 months—up just 1% from 66% in 1999.
Age-adjusted estimates for 2004 exceeded 71% in Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Utah, and Wisconsin. Significant increases over 1999 were seen in Arizona, the District of Columbia, Kansas, Minnesota, and Ohio.
The District of Columbia made the biggest strides, increasing its estimated percentage of dental patients to 71% in 2004 from just 37%—the lowest percentage in any state—in 1999.
Diabetes education programs should emphasize dental care for all people with the disease, “with emphasis on non-Hispanic blacks, persons with lower education and income, and those who lack health insurance,” the CDC stated. These groups were least likely to report dental visits.