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The line between oral and systemic health continues to blur. Here's a look at recent developments in medical-dental integration that could soon influence benefits design and clinical care delivery. A coalition of dental plans, practitioners, academics, public policy experts, and insurers is primed to get the public's attention regarding periodontal disease, and will use its emerging ties to diabetes as a hook. Members of the National Periodontal Disease Coalition (NPDC) gathered in Pittsburgh in late 2006 to explore the controversy and recent scientific data surrounding the relationship between periodontal disease and diabetes.