Colgate teams up with ADA to educate importance of oral health in diabetes care

ALEXANDRIA, Va. Colgate-Palmolive has signed on to become a National Strategic Partner of the American Diabetes Association, supporting ADA’s oral care activities and educating health care professionals, patients and the public about the importance of good oral health for people with diabetes or those at risk for developing diabetes.

According to John Buse, president of medicine and science for the ADA, there has been a growing body of evidence suggesting that infections in the mouth can affect overall health and lead to systemic diseases such as diabetes. Furthermore, it is estimated that people with diabetes are two to five times more likely to develop periodontal (gum) disease than people without diabetes. This is probably because people with diabetes are more susceptible to contracting infections.

As part of the collaboration, Colgate has committed to support ADAs education efforts on the oral health-diabetes connection through the development of educational resources and materials to improve the awareness and understanding of the oral/systemic health association.