Would You Get Tested?

Recent reports suggest that 57 million people in America are at risk for type 2 diabetes and that the number of Americans living with diabetes will nearly double by the year 2034. These are staggering numbers for a much too common disease that is preventable with awareness and action.

The central feature of diabetes is elevated blood sugar levels due to insufficiencies of insulin. Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas and a key regulator of the body’s metabolism. In type 2 diabetes (which accounts for 90-95% of all diabetes cases), the body does not respond properly to insulin, a condition know as insulin resistance.

Now the connection to oral care: chronic gum infection changes your body’s immune system and thereby influences insulin resistance. Given that an estimated 75% of all Americans over the age of 35 have some form of chronic gum infection, awareness and action is certainly called for!

In an effort to heighten awareness and encourage recommended gum treatments, I am considering adding the availability of a quick and easy in-office testing procedure that would detect those bacteria in your mouth that are responsible for gum infection.

Here’s my question: Would you want this test?

Let me know your thoughts…