Glucose Meter intelligent
A Guide to Smart Glucose Monitoring FR
Publié: Jun. 3, 2025
Mis à jour: Oct. 30, 2025
12 temps de lecture
A smart glucose monitor can change the way you get glucose readings. Learn how to monitor glucose levels without routine fingersticks* using continuous glucose monitoring devices like Dexcom CGM Systems.*
Main Takeaways
- A smart glucose monitor like a Dexcom Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) System allows you to check your glucose without routine fingersticks.*
- Dexcom CGM Systems can show you your glucose number in the palm of your hand, alongside detailed glucose data, in real time.
- CGM systems can provide alerts about important changes in your glucose so you can take proactive action to prevent highs and lows.
- Using Dexcom CGM Systems can help improve the glucose test results you see at your check-ups while supporting a greater sense of well-being throughout your diabetes journey.
Supporting Diabetes Management with a Smart Glucose Monitor
Keeping an eye on your blood sugar, or glucose, is a demanding 24/7 job that can feel overwhelming and exhausting. Glucose monitoring can show you how your habits affect your levels throughout the day and let you know when your glucose is too high or too low. However, it’s not always easy to understand what’s happening with your glucose levels. It can be frustrating or discouraging when you’re putting in the effort to manage your glucose, but you’re not sure if you’re making progress toward your goals or seeing the results you want. Constantly worrying about your glucose being too high or experiencing a serious low can also be mentally draining.
The way you monitor your glucose can affect your diabetes management as well as your sense of well-being. Pricking* your fingers to get your readings can be painful and leave you in the dark about where your glucose is at between tests. A smart glucose monitor can make checking your glucose a little more comfortable and convenient, and provide insights into your glucose levels whenever you need them.
It’s a good idea to talk to your doctor about the glucose monitoring options available to you. Your doctor can help you choose the option that best supports your diabetes management plan. Understanding what a smart glucose monitor is, how it works, and how it can support glucose control can help you determine whether it’s the right choice for you.
What is a Smart Glucose Monitor?
A continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system, sometimes referred to as a smart glucose monitor or a diabetic patch, is a wearable device that automatically measures your glucose and sends readings to a smart device or a digital handheld receiver. What makes a CGM system “smart” is its ability to continuously collect glucose readings, seamlessly share them across connected compatible smart devices and diabetes management apps, and even offer predictive alerts about your glucose levels. Dexcom CGM Systems are smart glucose monitors that can provide continuous glucose readings on a digital handheld receiver or the compatible smart devices you already use every day, such as smartphones and smartwatches.* This reduces the manual work—and discomfort—of constantly pricking your finger to take readings.†
Understand What Affects Your Glucose Levels
There are many interconnected factors that can affect your glucose management. Educating yourself about what can impact your glucose levels and knowing what steps you can take to stay in your target glucose range can help you feel greater control over your diabetes management.
Blood Glucose Meters vs. Continuous Glucose Monitoring Devices
Blood glucose meters, or BGMs, measure the amount of glucose in your blood. To use a BGM, you need to prick your finger with a lancet and put a drop of your blood onto a strip which is inserted into the BGM display device. Some BGM devices are connected to apps that store past readings, similar to continuous glucose monitoring devices, but many don’t, and you have to manually record your readings in a logbook so you can look back on them later.
Using a BGM requires most individuals living with diabetes to perform fingerpricks multiple times throughout the day. Diabetes Canada recommends that those using multiple daily insulin injections take readings at least three times each day. Those living with T2D who use insulin injections once a day and those who are struggling to reach their glucose management goals should also check their glucose at least once each day.1 However, Diabetes Canada recommends that those who have not reached their A1C target test their glucose four or more times per day and check their glucose during the night. If targets still aren’t reached, Diabetes Canada suggests testing your glucose seven or more times a day for several consecutive days every month or so, in line with your doctor’s advice.2
These recommendations are based on studies that show that having more insight into what’s happening with your glucose and understanding how to take action on your readings can empower you to improve your A1C.3 It also helps doctors give more informed and actionable guidance around diabetes management.3 Frequent, routine BGM readings have also been shown to help those living with T2D who are not using insulin lower their A1C.2,3 Having a structured BGM reading routine where individuals check their glucose at regular intervals throughout the day can help them see what affects their glucose level, enabling them to take steps to manage it.2,3
Is there a glucose monitor without finger pricks?
A smart glucose monitor eliminates the need for routine fingersticks and can take glucose readings continuously throughout the day and night.* CGM systems, like the Dexcom G7 CGM System, consist of a wearable sensor attached to the body with an adhesive glucose monitor patch that takes glucose readings just below the skin.
Rather than measuring glucose in your bloodstream, continuous glucose monitoring devices measure glucose in the interstitial fluid. Interstitial fluid surrounds all the cells in our body and makes it possible for glucose and other nutrients to travel from our blood into the cells to be used as energy.4 Applying the sensor takes seconds and is painless. 5,‡
Dexcom G7 can send glucose readings straight to your compatible smart device up to every five minutes, which can make it more convenient to check your glucose.
With a smart glucose monitor like Dexcom G7, you can get a better view into what’s happening with your glucose levels over the course of your day and while you sleep, which can help you feel more in control of your glucose management.
How the Dexcom G7 CGM System Works
Continuous glucose monitoring devices can make getting your glucose readings much simpler than using a BGM and far more powerful, with features that provide actionable insights that can support your overall diabetes management.
The Dexcom G7 CGM System consists of a wearable sensor that sends readings directly to the Dexcom G7 app on your smartphone or smartwatch,* or the Dexcom G7 receiver through Bluetooth. The CGM system seamlessly connects with Dexcom companion apps as well as other health devices and apps via Wi-Fi so that you can get the most out of your glucose data as you strengthen your diabetes self-care routine.
Wearing the Dexcom G7 Sensor
The discreet sensor is about the size of a couple of stacked coins. Adults can place the sensor on the back of their upper arms or lower abdomen, and kids from two to six years old also have the option of wearing it on their upper buttocks. Sensors can be worn for up to 10 days and are waterproof§5 so that you can sweat, swim, and bathe without taking the sensor off.
Each sensor is factory-calibrated and comes pre-packaged inside the applicator. Once you’ve chosen your wear location, all you have to do is place the applicator evenly and firmly on your selected location and press the button. When you need to switch your sensors after 10 days of wear, Dexcom G7 provides an extra 12-hour grace period so that you can change sensors when it’s convenient for you.
Using the Dexcom G7 App
Viewing the Glucose Graph and Direction Arrows
The main screen of the Dexcom G7 app or receiver shows your glucose number, glucose direction arrows, and a graph that has up to 24 hours of past glucose readings as well as lines that indicate your high and low glucose thresholds. This screen allows you to see where your glucose is at in the moment, where it has been, and where it’s headed at a glance.
The glucose direction arrows can show you if your glucose levels are steady, if they are rising or falling quickly, and if they are higher or lower than your thresholds. When you’re above your high glucose threshold, the arrow points up and turns yellow. When you’re below your low glucose threshold, the arrow points down and turns red. The system automatically plots each new reading on the graph as it comes in, which can help you see how your routines, meal choices, or insulin doses have affected your levels throughout the day.
Getting Proactive Glucose Alerts
Dexcom G7 also has several types of glucose alerts that can notify you about important changes in your glucose. It has a built-in Urgent Low alert that can let you know the moment your glucose is at or below 3.1 mmol/L. This alert can’t be turned off, giving you some additional peace of mind around catching lows if they happen. You can also set customized alerts to let you know when you’re above or below the target glucose range you’ve determined with the help of your doctor.
Dexcom G7 is the only CGM system that can provide a predictive Urgent Low Soon alert. This alert can let you know up to 20 minutes before you’re likely to experience a serious low below 3.1 mmol/L, giving you the chance to take proactive action to prevent the low. Using the Urgent Low Soon alert has been shown to significantly reduce the frequency of hypoglycemia.||¶,6,7
Checking the Clarity Card
Dexcom G7 continuously collects glucose data and displays it in easy-to-understand visuals that can help you get a better view of your glucose management. Just a scroll below the glucose graph in the Dexcom G7 app is the Clarity card which shows key glucose insights from the past 3, 7, 14, 30, or 90 days. These include your average glucose level and your glucose management indicator (GMI), which is an estimation of your overall A1C. It also shows your time in range (TIR), which is the average amount of time you’ve spent within the target glucose range you’ve determined with the help of your doctor. With these metrics in the palm of your hand, you can track your progress and celebrate your success along the way.
Connecting with Other Dexcom Companion Apps
Monitoring Glucose Remotely with Dexcom Follow
Dexcom Follow allows up to 10 people to view glucose readings from an individual’s Dexcom G7 app, enabling them to remotely monitor the individual’s glucose readings from anywhere they have a Wi-Fi connection.# This feature can give kids greater freedom to go to school, hang out with friends, and attend sleepovers while providing parents with some extra peace of mind about keeping an eye on their child’s glucose. It can also help caregivers of elderly individuals and those living with disabilities better support in their glucose management.
Uncovering Glucose Insights with Dexcom Clarity
Dexcom Clarity provides a portal for your doctor so that they can directly access your glucose data and reference it ahead of or during your regular checkups. It provides a range of graphs your doctor and diabetes care team can use to assess patterns in your glucose control. This can help them make more informed decisions about your treatment plan. Dexcom Clarity automatically shows glucose insights, such as patterns of lows at night or highs after certain meals, so that you and your doctor can address them sooner.
Integrating Your Health Devices and Diabetes Management Apps
Dexcom G7 connects with other diabetes technology to make your glucose monitoring experience even more convenient. You might be wondering, “Is there a smartwatch that monitors blood sugar?".The answer is that while there isn't a smartwatch that can measure glucose directly, however you can now connect the Dexcom G7 directly to an Apple Watch. This allows you to get glucose readings and alerts right on your watch, without the need to use a compatible phone. Check if your watch is compatible here.
In Canada, Dexcom CGM Systems are the only CGM devices approved for integration with insulin pumps. Currently, Dexcom G6 can be connected to the Tandem t:slim X2 insulin pump to support automated insulin delivery (AID) through Tandem’s ControlIQ and BasalIQ Technology. Dexcom is working closely with many insulin pump partners to integrate Dexcom G7 into current and future automated insulin delivery (AID) systems.
Dexcom G7 connects with a variety of diabetes health and blood sugar apps, including:
Proven Benefits of Using a Smart Glucose Monitor
A major part of diabetes self-care is doing your best to hit the glucose management goals that you’ve established with the guidance of your doctor. These might include lowering your A1C and keeping your glucose levels within your personalized target glucose range, which is generally defined by Diabetes Canada as being between 3.9 and 10.0 mmol/L.8 Working towards these goals can help you maintain your overall health and reduce the risk of diabetes complications.
Using a smart glucose monitor like a Dexcom CGM System, including Dexcom G7, is proven to help reduce A1C, increase time in range (TIR), and reduce the frequency and duration of hypoglycemia, which can support your diabetes management goals.9-14 Diabetes Canada recommends continuous glucose monitoring devices as the standard of care for all individuals living with type 1 diabetes and for those living with type 2 diabetes using basal-bolus insulin therapy who face challenges reaching their glucose targets.**2
Enhancing Your Well-Being with CGM
Managing and monitoring your glucose levels can feel overwhelming and exhausting, which takes a toll on your mental health. Facing challenges with your glucose control, such as experiencing frequent highs or lows, can leave you feeling both physically and mentally drained. If that’s not difficult enough, worrying about your glucose in between finger pricks and constantly putting your day on pause to check your levels with a BGM can add another layer of stress and discomfort.
Using a smart glucose monitor can enhance your glucose management while making the glucose monitoring process more transparent, comfortable, and convenient. This can help you reduce some of the mental load of diabetes and boost your overall sense of well-being. Here are just a few ways you can use a smart glucose monitor as a self-care tool to help you feel your best as often as possible.
Feel More Confident Making Diabetes Management Decisions
Diabetes management is a continuous learning journey. When you’re first diagnosed with diabetes, it can take time to learn which foods to eat, how often to exercise, how much sleep you need to get, and how to manage stress—among other new habits your doctor might recommend as part of your diabetes management plan. Even if you’ve been living with diabetes for several years, it’s not always easy to determine what’s impacting your glucose from one day to the next.
A CGM device can give you real-time insights into your glucose so that you can see how your levels change in the moment, such as after a meal or while you're exercising. This can empower you to make tweaks to your treatment decisions in the moment that help you stay in your target range. Dexcom CGM Systems including Dexcom G7 connect to the Dexcom Clarity app, which can show you days, weeks, months, and even years worth of your past glucose data. This can help you spot trends in your glucose over time so that you and your doctor can make improvements to your diabetes management plan.
Gain a Greater Sense of Control with Glucose Insights
Staying in your target range without insight into your glucose levels can feel like driving at night without the headlights on. Dexcom CGM Systems can help you get a view into where your glucose is headed so that you can make proactive treatment decisions to prevent highs and lows rather than reacting after they happen. Dexcom G7 provides glucose direction arrows in the app and on the receiver which can help give you an idea of what steps you may want to take to stay in range. Plus, the Urgent Low Soon alert can give you up to 20 minutes to grab a hypo snack such as a juice or fruit before you experience a serious low under 3.1 mmol/L, empowering you to prevent hypoglycemia.
Real-time glucose readings can also help you calculate your insulin doses and give you a better understanding of how your carb counts correlate with changes in your glucose after meals. This allows you to make decisions in the moment that are based on accurate glucose data, giving you a little extra confidence around maintaining your glucose levels throughout the day.
Focus on Enjoying What Matters Most
Dexcom CGM Systems enable you to view your glucose number when it’s convenient for you, right on your compatible smart device—which you likely already have with you throughout your day. With a BGM, you need to stop what you’re doing to see where your glucose is at. This can interrupt your workday or disrupt quality time with friends and family. It’s also inconvenient when you’re doing something hands-on — like enjoying the great outdoors, playing sports, working on a craft, or digging in the garden. A Dexcom CGM System can provide glucose insights in the palm of your hand so that you can check your levels, take action when you need to, and get back to doing what’s important to you sooner.
Living with diabetes shouldn’t hold you back from enjoying life to the fullest. Seeing your glucose data in real time can help you feel more confident about trying new things like eating at a new restaurant, signing up for a new exercise class, or going on your dream vacation. Being in the know about your glucose trends can help you prepare for activities that are outside your usual diabetes management routine and empower you to adapt to new situations in the moment.
Get Extra Peace of Mind Around Lows—Even at Night
Many individuals living with diabetes worry about experiencing serious low glucose. Frequently feeling anxious about going low can affect your mental health and prevent you from being present when you’re doing the things that are meaningful to you.
Using Dexcom CGM Systems reduces the frequency and duration of hypoglycemia, especially for those who experience hypoglycemia unawareness—which is when the body no longer shows noticeable symptoms of low glucose. Studies show that using the predictive Urgent Low Soon alert helps those experiencing hypoglycemia unawareness significantly reduce how often they experience serious lows.6 Dexcom CGM Systems also have a built-in Urgent Low alert that can let you know when you’re experiencing a serious low at or below 3.1 mmol/L, giving you some extra peace of mind around catching lows when they happen.
Dexcom CGM Systems can track your glucose and provide alerts while you sleep. If you’re using a BGM for glucose monitoring, it’s likely that you have to wake up in the middle of the night to check your glucose levels to ensure that you can prevent or treat nighttime hypoglycemia. With a Dexcom CGM System, you can rest a little easier at night knowing that the low glucose alerts can sound to wake you up to address changes in your glucose. It can also give you insights into what happens with your glucose at night, enabling you and your doctor to come up with effective strategies for helping you stay in range as you sleep.
Experience Greater Support with Remote Glucose Monitoring
It’s easier to manage diabetes when you have support and encouragement from other people. Dexcom CGM Systems connect to the Dexcom Follow app, which allows up to 10 people to view your glucose data from anywhere, as long as they have a Wi-Fi connection. Follow can provide alerts about important changes in your glucose and give your loved ones a chance to play an active role in your diabetes management routines.
Remote glucose monitoring can also reduce the stress associated with looking after another person’s glucose. Parents of children living with diabetes can use Dexcom Follow to keep an eye on their child’s glucose when they are staying over at their grandparents’ house, out on a school field trip, at summer camp, or attending an event with friends. This can give parents extra peace of mind while allowing kids greater independence. Caregivers of elderly individuals or those living with diabetes can also use Dexcom Follow to keep track of how their patients are doing, enabling them to better support glucose management through their care routines.
A CGM device is just one of many self-care tools that can help you improve your diabetes management. There are many other resources you can lean on to get expert guidance and support as you move through your diabetes journey. It’s a good idea to reach out to your doctor and diabetes care team—which can include a registered diabetes dietitian or trained diabetes mental health professional—for personalized advice about your diabetes management plan. Your care team can help you build a plan that fits into your lifestyle and adapt it as your needs change over time.
There are also plenty of online resources that can help you increase your diabetes education and connect with the diabetes community. Learning more about diabetes can give you a greater sense of control and confidence around making diabetes management decisions. Meeting others in the diabetes community who know what you’re going through gives you the opportunity to share your experiences, find emotional support, and have fun.
Here are just a few reliable resources that provide diabetes information and facilitate diabetes community activities across Canada.
Diabetes Educational Resources
- Diabetes Canada
- Breadthrough T1D (formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation JDRF)
- The CGM Blog from Dexcom
- Indigenous Diabetes Health Circle
- National Indigenous Diabetes Association
- The diaTribe Foundation
- Bright Spots and Landmines by Adam Brown
Diabetes Community Resources
- Diabetes Canada events
- Breadthrough T1D Community Activities (formerly JDRF)
- Breadthrough T1D Peer-to-Peer Support (formerly JDRF)
- Connected in Motion outdoor adventures
- The Dexcom Warrior community at @DexcomCanada on Instagram and Facebook
Diabetes Community Programs for Kids