Efectos de las enfermedades periodontales sobre la diabetes

In the last few years, various studies have shown that diabetes is not only a risk factor for periodontal diseases, but also that periodontal diseases may affect glycaemic control, with the well known consequences in terms of diabetes complications. The aim of the present paper was to review the existing evidence on the impact of periodontal diseases on diabetes, its metabolic control, and its complications, as well as the implications of these findings.

Periodontal diseases are infections, which trigger an immune inflammatory response in the periodontal tissues, responsible for a major proportion of the associated tissue destruction. The prevalence of periodontal diseases is high all over the world, which is confirmed in recent studies, both in Spain and Portugal. The importance of these diseases is based, not only on the local effects, such as tooth loss, but also on their systemic consequences. Among them, periodontal diseases have been shown to affect diabetes and its glycaemic control, due to (among other factors) the associated systemic inflammation.

Different studies have shown that periodontitis is associated with a higher level of glycosylated haemoglobin, both in subjects with and without diabetes. Moreover, it has been suggested that periodontitis may increase the risk of diabetes onset, as well as a higher risk of diabetic complications for diabetes patients. Conversely, periodontal therapy may improve glycaemic control in type 2 diabetic patients and, eventually, decrease diabetes complications.

The implications of these findings are numerous, affecting dentists, other health professionals and patients, among others.