Type 2 diabetes mellitus and oral health: A case-control study

Abstract Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the main causes of disability and mortality in human societies. This study aims to investigate oral health changes in patients with T2DM. Methods: A total of 70 T2DM cases and 140 non-diabetic controls were selected. A questionnaire was applied to gather data of the clinical history. An oral exam was performed to determine taste disorder, xerostomia, community periodontal index (CPI), premalignant lesions of the oral cavity, geographic tongue, candida-related lesions, and decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) index. Results: The mean age of cases and control group was 52.29±6.62 years and 49.64±12.78 years Respectively. Participants with T2DM were more likely to had a higher DMFT index [odds ratio (OR), 1.24; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.11-1.38, p<0.0001], coated tongue (OR, 3.25; 95%CI, 1.08-9.79, p=0.04), and xerostomia (OR, 5.64; 95%CI, 1.01-31.50, p=0.04) compared with non-diabetic participants. Also, among diabetic patients, the use of oral diabetes medication or insulin, as well as good (HbA1c ≤ 7%) or poor glycemic control, was not associated with oral health disorders. Conclusion:This study revealed that physicians should pay more attention to the oral and dental issues of diabetic patients regardless of diabetes control status.