The Oral-Systemic Connection: Oral Health and Diabetes

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Learning Objectives:

• Review the association between diabetes and oral disease and the epidemiologic data supporting the relationship.
• Review the role of the oral health professional in assessing and communicating risk factors for diabetes.
• Review interprofessional communication best practices to provide optimal care for all patients regarding oral and systemic health.

Author Qualifications:

Maria Geisinger, DDS, MS (Moderator)
​Dr. Geisinger is a professor, director of advanced education in periodontology, and acting chair of the Department of the Periodontology the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). A Diplomate and current President of the American Board of Periodontology, Dr. Geisinger is also a Fellow in the International Team for Implantology, the International College of Dentists and the American College of Dentists.

Mary Brennan, DNP, ANP, AGACNP-BC, CNS, FAANP
Dr. Brennan is the Director of DNP Program, Clinical Associate Professor, and Director of Adult-Gerontology Acute Care NP Program at NYU Rory Myers College of Nursing, New York, NY. As a prominent figure in the field, Dr. Brennan has integrated progressively challenging simulations throughout the AGACNP Program. She chairs the Simulation Committee at NONPF and has co-authored a simulation guide for nurse practitioners, and is a founding developer of the NONPF simulation podcast. She serves as the co-chair of the Evidence-Based Practice Research Interest Group at the Eastern Nursing Research Society. In her clinical practice at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, Dr. Brennan provides advanced practice nursing care for patients with acute, critical, and chronic cardiovascular illnesses. Recognizing her outstanding contributions to nursing education, Dr. Brennan was honored with the inaugural NYU College of Nursing Dean’s Distinguished Teaching Award in 2018.

Brian Mealey, DDS, MS
Dr. Brian Mealey is a Clinical Professor and former Graduate Program Director and Director of the Specialist Division in the Department of Periodontics at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Dental School. Dr. Mealey served over 21 years on active duty in the United States Air Force, including positions as the Chairman of the Department of Periodontics at Wilford Hall Medical Center, the Program Director of the U.S. Air Force Periodontics Residency, and the Chief Military Consultant in Periodontics to the Air Force Surgeon General. Dr. Mealey is a Diplomate and previously a Director of the American Board of Periodontology and is currently an Examiner for the Board. He has also served as a Trustee of the American Academy of Periodontology and as President of the Southwest Society of Periodontists.

Lisa Simon, MD, DMD
Dr. Simon is a physician, dentist, and health services researcher. She has been involved in the implementation of medical-dental integration projects in both the primary care, dental, and inpatient setting and has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles on oral health policy and the separation of medicine and dentistry in high-impact journals including the New England Journal of Medicine, Health Affairs, and the Journal of the American Dental Association. She was named the 2020 “Woman to Watch” by the Lucy Hobbs Taylor Award for women in dentistry, and a 2022 Stat “Wunderkind” for her research and commitment to equity. A proud safety net clinician, she has practiced both medicine and dentistry in federally qualified health centers in the greater Boston area. She is a faculty member in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Primary Care at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.