Phoenix Dentist, Dr. Mark Espinoza, says Dentists Should Screen for Diabetes

PHOENIX - March 6, 2015 - PRLog -- Central Dental Care has long been an advocate of periodontal
maintenance to help prevent and treat a host of serious diseases and conditions. Dr. Mark Espinoza is now saying that the Dentist's chair might be the best place for screening people for diabetes.

Dr. Espinoza says, "A finding from a recent study found that testing for diabetes, using the blood that appears during routine teeth cleaning, might be just as accurate as a Standard Diabetic Screening that uses a blood sample."

Currently, there are more than eight million individuals in the United States who have diabetes and are unaware of it. Many of these people see a Dentist much more regularly than they see their family Doctor. Most of these individuals have type two, adult-onset, diabetes which is associated with weight gain and aging. This means that the body can't properly use, or make enough, insulin to convert blood sugar into energy.

Dr. Espinoza stated, "If screening for diabetes happens in the Dentist's office, it might aid patients in getting treated sooner and obtaining better results in managing their disease."

From results published in the American Journal of Public Health. utilizing teeth cleaning blood versus the Standard Diabetes Test matched ninety-eight percent of the time in diagnosing diabetes and ninety-three percent in finding pre-diabetes. Additionally, the oral blood test was able to accurately rule out diabetes ninety-nine percent of the time.

According to the World Health Organization, globally, nearly one in ten adults had diabetes last year, and the disease will be the seventh leading cause of mortality by 2030. Diabetes is a serious and progressive disease that requires serious attention from day one. However, too often people with diabetes, as well as their health care providers, are too slow to act in diagnosing and treatment. Possibly, having Dentists be on the front line in screening for diabetes will help in obtaining an earlier diagnosis so treatment can begin much sooner.

"Here at Central Dental Care, we have long known how proper periodontal maintenance is an important part of an individual's overall health", said Dr. Espinoza, "Many current studies are finding that 'It All Starts in the Mouth' and so the Dentist's chair might be the best place for initial screening for diabetes."

ABOUT CENTRAL DENTAL CARE:
Central Dental Care, located at: 9315 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85020, has been serving Arizona for 20 years. Their mission is to enable people to have healthy teeth and gums for life. They practice pain free dentistry while giving their patients a beautiful smile to match their personality. Get your FREE ORAL WELLNESS EXAM ($120.00 value)! Call: 602-635-6872 or visit their website to schedule an appointment: http://centraldentalcare.com.