Control over type 2 diabetes improves notably when patients take special care of their dental hygiene, according to researchers at the University of Barcelona (UB) Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Type 2 is the most common form of diabetes, and previous research has connected it with periodontial pathologies.
“In this new study, we saw that there is not only a relation between them going from diabetes to periodontal diseases, but the other way around, from the periodontal disease to diabetes,” said Miquel Viñas Cirodia, professor of microbiology at the school.
The randomized clinical trial comprised 90 patients with type 2 diabetes who received oral treatment for six months. The treatment group received oral hygiene instructions with scaling and root planing using ultrasound and Gracey curettes. The control group received oral hygiene instructions with supragingival removal of plaque and calculus using ultrasound.
Pocket depth, gingival index, and plaque index were assessed at baseline and after 3 and 6 months with determinations of fasting plasma glucose, HbA1c, and bacterial counts. The treatment group saw significant improvements in periodontal and metabolic parameters. No improvements were observed in the control group.
“The main conclusion of the study is that the nonsurgical treatment of periodontitis improves the glycemic status and levels of glycated hemoglobin and therefore proves the great importance of oral health in these patients,” said José López López, lecturer of medicine and medical director at the Dental Hospital of the UB.
The study, “Benefits of non-surgical periodontal treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic periodontitis: A randomized controlled trial,” was published by the Journal of Clinical Periodontology.
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