Treeline Dental Care, a Midlands-based dental group, has teamed up with the University of Birmingham to trial routine diabetes testing in dental settings. This innovative project aims to use dental visits as an opportunity to detect diabetes early.
Dental professionals have long recognized that their role goes beyond oral health. Treeline Dental Care is exploring how dental care professionals (DCPs) can support research to identify health conditions such as diabetes. Since dental teams regularly see patients and advise on diet and lifestyle, they are well placed to help detect early signs of diabetes.
The project is part of the University of Birmingham’s INDICATE-2 study, funded by Haleon. This research builds on an earlier study to assess how many patients with undiagnosed type 2 diabetes (T2D) or pre-diabetes (non-diabetic hypoglycaemia, NDH) attend dental practices. The study plans to screen 10,000 patients across 50 dental clinics nationwide (NIHR, 2023).
The testing involves a questionnaire and a simple finger-prick blood test measuring HbA1c levels. Treeline’s dental teams use this approach to identify patients at risk during routine dental visits. Early results from the pilot found that nearly 15% of patients who believed they were healthy actually showed blood sugar levels indicating pre-diabetes or diabetes.
Treeline’s DCP teams manage the workflow of this testing program. Co-founder Jimmey Palahey supports giving his staff new opportunities beyond daily clinical work, a move that has been well received by the team.
At Treeline’s Lincoln practice, deputy lead and qualified dental nurse Jo Rodd oversees the patient testing and communicates findings to the University’s researchers. Jo highlights the importance of this work, noting the clear connection between diabetes and gum disease (periodontitis). Treating gum disease effectively can reduce diabetes complications.
Jo Rodd said, “We are very grateful to our patients for supporting this research. It has been an exciting journey working with the University team. Our dental staff feel motivated knowing their work benefits the local community.”
She added, “We emphasize the link between oral health and overall health to our patients. Supporting this research encourages patients with diabetes to adopt better health habits, both in the mouth and body.”
Jimmey Palahey commented, “Our goal is to make every patient contact count by contributing to general health research. Since we see patients regularly for dental care, it is a natural opportunity to support studies like this.”
He continued, “Partnering with respected research institutions is rewarding. As dental professionals, we must prioritize patient health over profit. Offering our teams diverse and progressive roles also raises the reputation of our clinics and staff.”
Related Topics
