Dental and oral symptoms of diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Dental and oral examinations of 1360 patients with diabetes mellitus showed higher DMFT mean values with fewer carious teeth and more filled and extracted teeth than the controls. PI mean values were higher in diabetics than in the controls, the difference being statistically significant, and showed a positive correlation with age, but no correlation with the length of time since the disease was established. No correlation was found between the severity of gingivitis and changes in blood glucose levels. The sucrose-free diet of diabetics does not seem to reduce caries prevalence. The increased DMFT index is explained by the fact that, due to periodontitis, diabetics lose more teeth sooner than do healthy people.