Appraisal of an Oral Health Care Programme to Improve Oral Health Status of Diabetic Patients: Evidence from Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a low-income country currently grappling with an unprecedented economic crisis and a rising burden of non-communicable diseases dominated by diabetes and pre-diabetes.The economic crisis has negatively impacted once strong public health care system of the country which offered free of-charge services.Therefore, optimal management of diabetic complications through healthy lifestyle habits has become more important than ever before.The bi-directional relationship of diabetes and periodontal diseases is well-known but not translated into clinical practices in diabetic management.In general, the oral health statuses of diabetic patients are often neglected in providing comprehensive diabetic care across the globe.Consequently, diabetic patients carry a high burden of oral diseases that could interfere with their optimal glycemic control and aggravate diabetic complications.Against this backdrop, this short report aims to appraise the service delivery of an oral health programme of a premier, multispecialty tertiary care public dental hospital in Sri Lanka to improve the oral health status of a group of diabetic patients.