Patients with type 2 diabetes and periodontitis may experience significant improvements in glycemic control if they have their gum disease properly treated, the results of a Spanish randomized controlled trial suggest.
Comparing thorough periodontal treatment with superficial plaque and calculus removal, the researchers found that patients who underwent intensive gum management experienced significant improvements in fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and HbA1c, despite already receiving diabetes treatment.
The study demonstrates "that the nonsurgical treatment of periodontitis improves glycemic status and levels of glycated hemoglobin, and therefore proves the great importance of oral health in these patients," said coauthor José López-López, MD, PhD, from the Dental School at the University of Barcelona, Spain, in a press release.
The research was recently published online in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, by Miquel Viñas, PhD, Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, IDIBELL-University of Barcelona, Spain, and colleagues.
It follows Dutch findings indicating that patients with severe periodontitis may have undiagnosed type 2 diabetes, as reported by Medscape Medical News. That analysis of 300 dental patients revealed HbA1c levels increased significantly with increased severity of periodontitis, and severe periodontitis was linked to a doubling of the risk of suspected diabetes.
Dr Viñas said the current study shows that there is a relationship, not only from diabetes to periodontal disease, but also "the other way round."
