Management of Patients With Diabetes by General Dentists in New Zealand

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of diabetes in New Zealand is reaching epidemic proportions, with serious implications for oral health. We investigated the attitudes, beliefs, and practices of New Zealand (NZ) general dental practitioners (GDPs) with respect to the management of patients with diabetes and contrasted the NZ findings with those from a similar survey of GDPs in the Northeast United States (NE US) conducted in 2002.Methods: A nationwide postal survey was conducted of NZ dentists. A random sample was selected from the 2005 New Zealand Dental Register. Responses were received from 437 dentists (response rate: 64.5%).Results: The sample was representative. Most GDPs participated in the assessment and discussion phases of managing patients with diabetes, but the prevalence of more hands-on activities (such as testing) was considerably lower. Three-quarters of dentists asked new patients about their type of diabetes. Just over two in five respondents believed that their evaluation and/or management of ...