Periodontal Disease and Diabetes - Assignment Example

Advanced tooth loss was associated with a nearly 70% increase in the odds of incident diabetes. This study concludes that baseline periodontal disease (risk factor) is an independent predictor of incident type II diabetes (outcome). This study is important because it helps to identify a potential risk factor for type II diabetes. This information can be used to develop targeted preventive and dental health education programs for this high-risk population.

Singh, S., Kumar, V., Kumar, S., & Subbappa, A. (2008). The effect of periodontal therapy on
the improvement of glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomized controlled clinical trial. International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries, 28(2), 38-44. Retrieved from http://www.rssdi.in/diabetesbulletin/2008/ APRIL/IntJDiabDevCtries28238-3747333_010227.pdf
Keywords: Periodontal disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, glycemic control, periodontal treatment, randomized control study.
In this article, researchers conducted a randomized control trial to test the hypothesis that management of periodontal disease through non-surgical treatment methods can lead to better control of glucose metabolism in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients who are diagnosed with generalized periodontitis. The effect of non-surgical periodontal treatment on the study participants was assessed using the repeated-measures ANOVA and Scheffe’s post hoc test. The results revealed that group A treatment group (which received conventional periodontal therapy including scaling and root planing) and group B treatment group (which received 100mg of doxycycline in addition to conventional periodontal therapy including scaling and root planing) showed improved glycemic control compared to group C control group which did not receive any oral hygiene treatment, scaling or root planing. In fact group, B showed greater improvement than group A. The researchers concluded that nonsurgical periodontal treatment which includes scaling, planning, and use of doxycycline (exposure) helps to improve glycemic control (outcome) in study participants. The results of this study cannot be generalized to other populations since the study sample was very small with only 15 participants in each of the three study groups. Therefore further studies on a larger sample size need to be conducted. Read More