More than one-third of the US adult population is obese. Around 10 percent of the US adults are affected by Type 2 Diabetes, and a fraction of the population remains undiagnosed. These two highly prevalent chronic conditions significantly influence oral health, treatment outcomes, and procedural risk in dental practice. These metabolic diseases are associated with heightened systemic inflammation, altered immune responses, impaired wound healing, increased infection risk, and higher prevalence and severity of periodontal and peri-implant diseases.

This continuing education course provides dental professionals with a clinically focused, evidence-based framework for managing patients with diabetes and obesity in the dental office. The program integrates foundational medical concepts with practical chairside considerations, including risk assessment, treatment planning, procedural modifications, emergency recognition, and post-operative management. Emphasis is placed on understanding how metabolic dysregulation affects oral tissues and healing, recognizing medication-related implications, and implementing strategies to reduce complications during preventive, periodontal, restorative, and surgical care.
The course also highlights the importance of oral-systemic integration and interprofessional communication to support comprehensive, patient-centered care for individuals with metabolic disease.

Sukirth Ganesan, DDS, PhD, MPH is the Dentistry Centennial Associate Professor, board-certified in Periodontics and Dental Implant Surgery, and serves as the Director of the Advanced Education Program in Periodontics and the Director of Clinical Research at the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics. He earned his PhD and certificate in Periodontics from the Ohio State University, along with a Master’s in Public Health focusing on Health Policy and Administration from the University of Illinois, Chicago. Prior to his tenure at the University of Iowa, Dr. Ganesan completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda. He is a Fellow of the International College of Dentists, the American College of Dentists, the ADEA Leadership Institute, and a member of the OKU Honor Society. Dr. Ganesan has received numerous awards from the AAP and AAP Foundation and serves on committees for both organizations and the AADOCR, as well as on the advisory board of the Academy for Advancing Leadership (AAL) Institute for Teaching and Learning and on Board of the Midwest Society of Periodontology.

In addition to delivering patient care and holding a permit for moderate conscious sedation, Dr. Ganesan is actively engaged in teaching periodontal residents and leading a funded research program. He is the CODA commissioner of Periodontics and serves as an examiner for the American Board of Periodontology. His research explores the intricate connections between the human microbiome, oral health, and systemic diseases, with a particular focus on host-microbial interactions in Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome, and in pathogenesis of periimplantitis. Dr. Ganesan has secured funding from prestigious sources such as the Osteology Foundation, Diabetes Center Research grant, American Cancer Society Young Investigator grant, NIH NIDCR, and Carver Foundation. He advocates for a holistic approach to healthcare, integrating clinical, research, and public health expertise

Initially, this course will discuss the current scientific evidence that shows how providing compassionate care is a requirement for achieving excellence in healthcare services, especially focusing on oral healthcare. Then, it will emphasize ageism self-assessment, and how dentists can actively help to counter-act ageism when practicing dentistry, avoiding the unintended consequences of ageism to the quality of dental care provided and how to effectively communicate with older adults and obtain patients’ adherence to the dentist recommendations

Leo Marchini, DDS, MSD, PhD, is Professor and Chair of Preventive and Community Dentistry at the University of Iowa. His research focuses on geriatric oral health, patient-centered care, and dental education. He has authored over 200 peer-reviewed articles, seven textbooks, and 20 book chapters, with an h-index of 27 (Scopus). Dr. Marchini serves on multiple editorial boards and is a Past President of the Special Care Dentistry Association.