UK adults unaware of link between oral health and diabetes

Dental Tribune International

Tue. 9 December 2025

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LONDON, England: More than a third of UK adults in a study by periodontal health brand Corsodyl experience bleeding gingivae at least once a month when they brush their teeth and ignore it or simply brush more softly. The findings also showed that, while most participants recognised that diet, weight, family history, lack of physical activity and high blood pressure may all contribute to Type 2 diabetes risk, just one in ten knew that periodontal disease is associated with an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes.

Commenting on the research, Alastair Lomax, medical and scientific affairs director at Corsodyl’s parent company, Haleon, said: “These findings highlight the need to close the awareness gap between periodontal disease and systemic conditions such as Type 2 diabetes. As a global brand and expert in periodontal health, Corsodyl is committed to raising awareness and encouraging early action.”

In the UK, around 1.3 million people have undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes. In research undertaken by Corsodyl, more than two in five people said that they or a family member have been told that they are at risk of developing Type 2 diabetes and in most cases this warning came from their general medical practitioner. Fewer than one in 20 recalled receiving the same message from their dentist, despite periodontal disease being a clear risk factor, showing a major missed opportunity to use routine dental visits as a gateway for earlier awareness and intervention.

To help address this, Haleon has partnered with the University of Birmingham in England on a study to assess a new care pathway that is being trialled in 50 dental practices across the UK to screen 10,000 patients potentially at risk of Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes during routine check-ups. Each participant completes a diabetes risk questionnaire, provides a finger prick blood sample and is invited to provide a saliva sample for future research. If a patient’s result indicates that he or she is at risk of Type 2 diabetes, the patient will be referred to his or her general medical practitioner for further medical assessment and care. If the study is successful and the new pathway is rolled out nationally, it is estimated that dental teams could potentially detect undiagnosed diabetes in more than one million people.

Co-researcher Dr Iain Chapple, professor of periodontics and consultant in restorative dentistry at the University of Birmingham’s School of Dentistry, said: “This study could make a real difference for patients by allowing oral healthcare teams to identify people at risk of Type 2 diabetes during routine check-ups. It means that more people at risk of, or with the condition, could get earlier diagnosis and support through their general practitioner, helping them manage their health and reduce complications before those problems become more serious.”