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Periodontal treatment may lower the number of hospitalizations and the cost of medical care for diabetics with periodontal disease.
The information comes from a study at the 41st Annual Meeting & Exhibition of the American Association for Dental Research, which was held in conjunction with 36th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research.
The study compared medical costs for diabetics with periodontal disease that received some kind of periodontal treatment, while the other group fit the same bill except for the fact their periodontal disease was untreated. The group that underwent treatment had treatment in the first year and in ensuing years. The group without treatment received an incomplete amount of therapy the first year and missed out on regular treatment in ensuing years.
Based on the information from the study, which was led by Marjorie Jeffcoat, professor and dean emeritus of the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, the correlation between receiving treatment for periodontal disease among diabetics and the lowered diabetic treatment costs was clear.
Periodontal treatment resulted in many fewer hospital admissions, doctor visits, and total costs of healthcare among diabetics. The savings was more than $1,800 for a year per patient.
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