Screening for dysglycaemia in dental primary care practice settings: systematic review of the evidence

INTRODUCTION: Increasing prevalence of diabetes and periodontal disease is prompting identification of additional clinical settings to identify patients at risk for dysglycaemia. A systematic review of studies that have examined feasibility of screening for at-risk patients in general dentistry settings at point-of-care (POC) was undertaken. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Systematic review of pragmatic clinical field trials piloting POC screening for dysglycaemia risk in dental settings was undertaken in studies whose primary objective was to explore rates of dysglycaemia among undiagnosed patient populations. RESULTS: Among 17 dental clinical field trials identified, 10 were systematically reviewed. High rates of undiagnosed dysglycaemia were detected among dental patients by biological screening in all trials. Notably, substantive differences in study design and population characteristics were identified, precluding meta-analysis. CONCLUSION: Screening for dysglycaemia in dental offices effectively identified high-risk patients requiring triage for glycaemic management. Considerations for future clinical trial design were advanced to establish an evidence base amenable to meta-analysis of the relative translational value of glycaemic screening in dental settings.