What should be blood sugar level before undergoing dental extraction
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Quick answer
For a routine dental extraction in a person with diabetes, many dentists prefer a random blood glucose below about 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) on the day of treatment.
Common practical thresholds:
- Fasting glucose: ideally 80-130 mg/dL (4.4-7.2 mmol/L)
- Random/pre-procedure glucose: preferably below 180-200 mg/dL (10-11.1 mmol/L)
- Above 250-300 mg/dL (13.9-16.7 mmol/L): elective extraction is often deferred and the patient should contact their medical clinician, especially if they feel unwell.
- Low glucose, below 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L): treat the low sugar first. Do not proceed while symptomatic or hypoglycemic.
For people using insulin or glucose-lowering medicines, an early morning appointment, normal meal unless instructed otherwise, and bringing a glucose source are sensible. The dentist should make the final decision based on urgency, infection, diabetes control, medications, and symptoms.
What should I do if my blood sugar is above 250 mg/dL?
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For a routine dental extraction in a person with diabetes, many dentists prefer a random blood glucose below about 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) on the day of treatment.
Common practical thresholds:
- Fasting glucose: ideally 80-130 mg/dL (4.4-7.2 mmol/L)
- Random/pre-procedure glucose: preferably below 180-200 mg/dL (10-11.1 mmol/L)
- Above 250-300 mg/dL (13.9-16.7 mmol/L): elective extraction is often deferred and the patient should contact their medical clinician, especially if they feel unwell.
- Low glucose, below 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L): treat the low sugar first. Do not proceed while symptomatic or hypoglycemic.
For people using insulin or glucose-lowering medicines, an early morning appointment, normal meal unless instructed otherwise, and bringing a glucose source are sensible. The dentist should make the final decision based on urgency, infection, diabetes control, medications, and symptoms.
Quick answer
If your glucose is above 250 mg/dL (13.9 mmol/L):
- Recheck it after washing and drying your hands, especially if the reading is unexpected.
- Drink water unless you have been told to restrict fluids for heart or kidney disease.
- Do not skip your prescribed diabetes medicines or insulin. Use only the correction plan your own clinician has given you. Do not take extra insulin if you do not have a plan for it.
- If you have type 1 diabetes, use insulin, are sick, or glucose stays above 250, check blood or urine ketones if available.
- Contact your diabetes clinician the same day if readings remain over 250 mg/dL, recur, or you do not know how to correct them.
- For a non-urgent dental extraction, tell the dental office before attending. They may postpone treatment until your glucose is better controlled. If there is facial swelling, fever, severe tooth pain, or spreading infection, contact the dentist urgently because infection itself can raise blood glucose.
Go to urgent care or the emergency department now if you have high glucose with moderate or large ketones, vomiting, abdominal pain, rapid or deep breathing, confusion, severe weakness, dehydration, or inability to keep liquids down. These can be signs of diabetic ketoacidosis or another serious illness.
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