Very Interesting article . . . http://www.everydayhealth.com/public...betes_20080611 . . .

I've always thought of my peridontal problems as being a result of my diabetes and the higher blood sugar levels. This article is suggesting that the reverse could be true -- gum problems can bring about increased sugar levels and insulin resistance.

Very interesting! Thanks for the link!

Intensive periodontitis intervention, for example, can significantly lower one's levels of A1C, a measure of long-term glucose control.

"We have found evidence that the severity of periodontal disease is associated with higher levels of insulin resistance, often a precursor of type 2 diabetes, as well as with higher levels of A1C," dentist Maria E. Ryan, director of clinical research at the Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine in New York, said in a prepared statement
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I'm rather suspicious that the first statement is not supported. Are they stating that it's possible that treatment lowers A1C or just that they suspect it would. The second statement is the only one that sites "evidence." The problem with an association is, it does not prove anything. It's very possible that peridontal disease AND poor blood sugar control are caused by a third factor (such as carbohydrate intake, perhaps? People who don't take care of their teeth might be less likely to take care of their diabetes? There are a lot of possibilities).

Even if there is evidence that peridontal intervention does lower A1C, it's still possible that a person who had decided to take care of themselves in one area of their lives may be more likely to do so in another. So people who decide to seek dental treatment might also be more likely to work harder to control their blood sugar.

All of this sounds like speculation at this point.