Appropriate health history questions and review are essential in helping patients maintain oral and systemic health. Insulin resistance (IR) is considered a chronic and low-level inflammatory condition. It is closely related to altered glucose tolerance, abdominal obesity, and coronary heart disease. IR is accompanied by an increase in the inflammatory cytokines like interleukin-1 and -6 and tumor necrosis factor-α. Levels of these cytokines also effect the progression of IR.
Periodontitis is the most common oral disease. Pro-inflammatory cytokines are released in the disease process of periodontitis, including interleukin-1 and interleukin-6. Periodontitis can be attributed to exacerbation of IR. Data in the literature supports a "two-way relationship" between diabetes and periodontitis. The coexistence of systemic and oral inflammatory diseases warrants closer examination by dental professionals.
Learning Objectives:
RDH, MS
University of the Pacific, San Francisco, California
Lory Laughter, RDH, MS, has been a active dental hygienist since her graduation from Idaho St. University in 1994. In 2015 she earned a MS degree in Dental Hygiene from the University of California, San Francisco. ...
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