
June 28, 2000
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, USA:
Last year during my scheduled doctor’s visit my blood sugar was at 121. This year I went back and he called and left word that my level was at 348. Could it be possible that two days after a 3 hour dental appointment with Novocaine or some type of drug it could have made a spike like this? I went on the sugerbuster diet right away and have a follow up appointment next week. Should I be worried?
Answer:
It is very doubtful that most dental procedures would be directly responsible for the increase in your blood sugar levels; however, if you developed an infection secondary to the dental procedure then I might expect an increase. I am however concerned about the reason for the 3 hour dental appointment. Your dental appointments should be short and in the A.M. If the procedures are extensively invasive, you should consult with your doctor about taking antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent an infection from spreading from your mouth.
I might be able to help you more if I had a few more details on the extent of the dental procedure.
FV