The purpose of this project will be to evaluate a simple blood test and an interview process proposed as methods to screen for the presence and control of diabetes. If accurate these tests may be clinically useful for dentists interested in treating geriatric patients and needing to asssess the presence and degree of control of diabetes in this population prior to initiating dental treatment. Methods: 100 subjects of which at least 30 will be diabetic, will be recruited from the patient population of two extramural geriatric dentistry clinics run by the U.S.C. School of Dentistry. A medical history and relevant symptom report will be taken from each subject using an interview procedure. In addition, the diabetic subjects will be asked to respond to questions regarding the history and control of their diabetes. All subjects will be asked to fast from midnight, and will then have three tests run: a venous blood glucose, a hemoglobin A 1c, and a capillary blood glucose test. Those subjects who have never been diagnosed as being diabetic will then be given a 75 gram carbonated drink for glucose testing. Two hours later venous and capillary blood will be drawn. The data received will be tabulated and coded and subjected to descriptive statistical analysis. Significance: It has been well-reported that the prevalence of diabetes increases with age. With the increasing numbers of elderly patients seeking dental care, and the significant complications that can occur in treating an undiagnosed or uncontrolled diabetic, and in-office technique to uncover undiagnosed diabetics or to assess the level of control of diagnosed diabetes is needed. Proper understanding of the role of diabetes in the production and maintenance of oral disease will not only benefit the patient community, but it can be of great significance to dental clinicians who often treat oral diseases as isolated phenomenon with little or no knowledge of the interrelationship between unsuccessfully managed or undiagnosed diabetes, and the oral problem they may be seeing.
