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Trisha Dunning, MEd, PhC, AM, RN,

Trisha Dunning, MEd, PhC, AM, RN, is a Professor and Chair in Nursing, Deakin University and Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia.

Periodontal diseases are infectious processes that occur in the presence of bacteria, which trigger an inflammatory response. Periodontal disease is associated with many medical conditions, including diabetes mellitus and its complications (such as kidney disease). It has been described as the “sixth diabetes complication” but is often overlooked in routine diabetes management and complication screening processes. Proactive, preventative dental and diabetes self care, as well as regular dental and diabetes assessment, are important management strategies because periodontal disease contributes to the progression of impaired glucose tolerance to diabetes mellitus and to hyperglycemia in individuals with established diabetes.