Hunt School of Dental Medicine Integrates Diabetes Screening into Dental Visits

EL PASO, TX - In an effort to combat high diabetes rates in El Paso County, the Hunt School of Dental Medicine, thanks to funding from the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, has expanded their diabetes screening initiative to local dentistry practices. This new phase of the Diabetes and the Community Dentist program, involving a $166,990 grant, starts prior to Diabetes Alert Day on March 26, 2024.

Associate Professor Wilma Luquis-Aponte and Assistant Professor Salma Elwazeer lead the project. It employs a simple questionnaire followed by a finger-prick blood test for at-risk patients, free of charge. This step does not equate to a diabetes diagnosis, but rather identifies individuals who then need to consult with primary healthcare providers.

Dr. Paul Ro from the Hunt School emphasizes that due to frequent dental visits, dentists can play a vital role in early diabetes detection. The county currently sees diabetes rates of 13.9%, which exceed both Texas and national averages. The initiative aims to leverage these visits to address the burgeoning diabetes challenge pragmatically.