Association between periodontitis and type 2 diabetes mellitus: study in a population attended by the Brazilian Health System

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Periodontitis control helps to prevent and control diabetes mellitus and understanding of this relationship can lead to changes in health policy. Objective The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between periodontitis, knowledge, and glycemic control. Material and method This is a cross-sectional analytical epidemiological survey with 216 Type 2 diabetic patients, non-smokers, who had current blood screenings with glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Result Overall, 93.51% of the patients reported brushing their teeth at least twice a day, 62.5% visited the dentist last year, 81.58% have already undergone treatment for periodontal disease, 43.52% reported having periodontitis and 59.72% had controlled diabetes. No significant (p=0.603) association between HbA1c control and the presence of periodontitis was found. Among the patients with periodontitis, no association between HbA1c control and information on the periodontal disease was found (p=0.996), and know/believe in its relationship with diabetes (p=0.659; p=0.973). Conclusion No relationship between periodontitis and diabetes was found in the sample, as well as in patients with periodontitis, those with knowledge on periodontal disease and knowledge/belief in its relationship with diabetes, which could be justified by the care by a multi-professional health team.