Diabetes Care From The Dental Chair, sponsored by Corsodyl, outlines the INDICATE-2 study (Introducing Diabetes Checks in the Dental Setting), a major UK initiative led by the University of Birmingham and funded by Haleon.
The study establishes a care pathway for dental teams across 50 practices to screen routine patients for diabetes and pre-diabetes using blood tests and the DDS score (Diabetes Risk in Dentistry Score). Because people often visit the dentist when they feel healthy rather than sick, dental chairs present a unique “cold face” opportunity to diagnose conditions early.
Watch Episode 4 via The Probe’s YouTube channel:
In the final episode we explore the study’s lasting legacy and what the future could hold beyond diabetes:
- The Oral-Systemic Link: Expanding dental care beyond the mouth to support early detection for systemic conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and dementia.
- Cardiovascular & Hypertension Screening: Real-world findings from NHS pilots, including high pickup rates for undiagnosed hypertension and life-threatening conditions like atrial fibrillation right in the dental chair.
- Future Horizons (“The ABCDE Project”): How dental practices could eventually expand point-of-care testing to cover respiratory health, vitamin D levels, and early kidney disease detection.
- Maximising Dental Skill Mix: Utilising dental nurses, hygienists, and therapists – who are uniquely positioned and skilled—to lead preventive health screenings and patient conversations.
- Addressing Health Inequalities: Aligning oral healthcare with NHS priorities to protect vulnerable populations, improve access during critical diagnoses (like cancer care), and integrate dental teams into broader public healthcare pathways.
The series gathers insights from the following prominent health leaders, researchers, and frontline professionals:
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Professor Iain Chapple – Key lead researcher instrumental in bringing the study to life at the University of Birmingham.
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Dr. Zehra Yonel – Clinical researcher from the University of Birmingham who coordinates the practice-based network.
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Jason Wong – Chief Dental Officer for England.
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Dr. Nigel Carter – Former Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation.
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Abbi Castle – Lead Community Care Coordinator at OBEX Dental (sharing Frontline primary care team perspectives).
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Adam Sisson – Vice President and Head of Oral Health Research at Haleon.
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Anne – A patient who was successfully diagnosed with type 2 diabetes directly from a dental screening test.
Missed the series so far?
Watch episode 1 here:
Watch episode 2 here:
Watch episode 3 here:
