Obesity prevention and intervention in dental practice.

Dentists have an important role in preventing and detecting oral and systemic diseases because of their diagnostic and screening abilities and the frequency of patient visits. These skills and practice paradigms should be considered in solving the obesity epidemic. The well-described connection between periodontal disease and diabetes is a reason for dentists to intervene in the rise of obesity. Dentists are in a unique position to identify and aid in treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, a condition associated with obesity and diabetes. Dentists can play a role in raising awareness of overweight status and obesity risk behaviors in children.