[Nursing, diabetes, and periodontal disease]

In primary health care, the specific contribution nurses make to the community they serve manifests itself clearly when treating individuals suffering from chronic illnesses, with whom nurses basically fulfill an educational role. In the control of diabetics, a nurse plays a fundamental role in their periodical check-ups and their education about diabetes. Nonetheless, it is not a common practice to provide an adequate treatment for these pathologies nor oral hygiene self methods during these office visits, when the time requirements are not extensive and when the information available highlights the need to contemplate oral hygiene in both educational aspects and check-ups for diabetics, regardless of his/her age or the degree of metabolic control.