Dental problems among diabetics: A case control study from an Indian state

Abstract

Background: Diabetes is a metabolic disorder, which affects almost all parts of body. Dental problems remain neglected among diabetics which could have negative impact on health and if untreated could lead to financial loss in treatment of diseases. Aims: To compare the risk, quality of life (QOL), and direct cost of dental problems between cases and controls. Methods: A hospital-based case control study in a tertiary care hospital of Uttarakhand, India. Results: The risk of comorbidities of dental problem was 1.8 times higher as compared with controls. Twenty-six percent of cases were found to be suffering from one or the other type of dental problems as compared with 16.4% among controls. The direct cost expenditure among cases was significantly higher as compared with controls. Limitations: The QOL scores and the cost of treatment obtained could be an overestimate as some of the participants with dental problems also had comorbidities related to other systems of the body. Conclusion: The risk of dental problems and the direct cost was reported to be significantly higher among cases as compared with controls.