A new toolkit designed to link dental and medical care is being prepared by NHS England. Some details of the toolkit were revealed by Janet Clarke, deputy CDO, at BDIA Dental Showcase last month.

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Patients with diabetes should automatically be referred to a dentist as well as other health professionals to check for periodontal disease as a result of the toolkit which is due to be published by early next year. Currently, such a patient is referred to a podiatrist and an optician but not to a dentist, she explained.

Janet said: ‘You will know about the link between diabetes and oral health and that link is becoming better known and the evidence is strong.’

‘We are also developing a commissioning standard so that commissioners are aware of these issues and can start thinking about commissioning dental services that would be helpful for people with diabetes. We have worked closely on this with Diabetes UK and our diabetes colleagues in NHS England.’

Simon O’Neill, Director of Health Intelligence at Diabetes UK, said: ‘Periodontitis and Type 2 diabetes share the common risk factor of diet, and therefore there's potential for a combined preventative approach.

‘Recent evidence has also suggested that improved periodontal outcomes could have a direct effect on Type 2 diabetes outcomes, and vice versa.

‘We are pleased to be working with our colleagues at NHS England to raise awareness about the connection between periodontitis and Type 2 diabetes. We would support a clear pathway to dental care for people with Type 2 as already exists for podiatry, for example.’