A patient's HbA1c is reported as 11%. How would you characterize this patient's diabetes management?

An HbA1c of 11% is significantly above the typical target of less than 7% (or 6.5% for some guidelines), indicating severely poor glycemic control. Patients with HbA1c above 9% are considered poorly controlled diabetics. Poorly controlled diabetes is associated with impaired wound healing, increased infection risk, delayed response to periodontal therapy, and increased risk of systemic complications (retinopathy, nephropathy, cardiovascular disease). In dentistry, elective surgical procedures may need to be deferred until glycemic control improves.