TUESDAY, March 10, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Screening hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) chairside in a dental setting can identify patients with prediabetes or diabetes, according to a study published in the April issue of the Journal of Dentistry.
Mark Ide, B.D.S., Ph.D., from King's College London, and colleagues examined the potential associations between HbA1c measured chairside and periodontitis. Data were obtained from 911 participants who provided self-reported medical and dental history.
The researchers found that 6.0, 11.3, and 82.7 percent of the patients were periodontally healthy, had gingivitis, and had periodontitis stage I to IV, respectively. The mean HbA1c value was 5.71 ± 0.94 percent; excluding those with self-reported diabetes, 28.7 and 7.3 percent were in the prediabetes range and the diabetes range, respectively. There was an increase in HbA1c levels from diagnosis of periodontal health, gingivitis, and periodontitis (5.43 ± 0.51, 5.51 ± 0.91, and 5.76 ± 0.97 percent, respectively). A significant association was seen between age and HbA1c, with a borderline association for periodontal diagnosis. After excluding people with self-reported diabetes, age showed similar findings. Significant associations with age and body mass index (BMI) were confirmed in logistic regression (HbA1c <5.7 versus ≥5.7 percent), but no significant association was seen for periodontal diagnosis.
"The findings suggest that dental visits may offer a valuable opportunity to identify those at risk of diabetes, particularly in older patients, those with higher BMI, and people with gum disease," coauthor Giuseppe Mainas, Ph.D., also from King's College London, said in a statement.