Association between diabetes mellitus and periodontal status in north Indian adults

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of periodontal diseases among individuals with type I and type II diabetes in north India and evaluate the association of this condition with behavioral and clinical variables. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on a calculated sample of 300 individuals with diabetes. Periodontitis was defined as clinical attachment loss (CAL) >3 mm in two or more non-adjacent teeth or those that exhibited CAL >5 mm in 30.0% of teeth. All subjects were over 30 years of age and underwent a periodontal examination. Behavioral characteristics as well as medical history and dental history were obtained with a structured interview. Discrete (categorical) groups were compared by Chi-square (χ2) test. A two-tailed (α=2) P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. GraphPad Prism (version 5.0) was used for the analysis. Results: A total of 6.7% exhibited a healthy periodontium; 68.0% exhibited gingivitis; and 25.3% exhibited periodontitis. The univariate analysis revealed that periodontitis was statistically more prevalent among men (P=0.001); among participants with type II diabetes (P=0.009); those with more than five years of diabetes (P=0.065); those with tobacco smoking habits (P<0.001); and those who had not visited the dentist in the previous year (P<0.001). Conclusion: Multiple determinants are associated with the prevalence of periodontitis among patients with diabetes.