Dental News - Non-surgical periodontal treatment achieves better control of Type 2 diabetes

Dental Tribune International

Wed. 7. February 2018

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BARCELONA, Spain: Spanish researchers have found further evidence for the connection between periodontitis and Type 2 diabetes. In a recent study, they found that control of Type 2 diabetes improved notably when the patient underwent scaling and root planing using ultrasound and curettage.

Many studies have indicated a probable association between poor oral health and Type 2 diabetes, and it has been found that if uncontrolled it leads to gingivitis and periodontitis. “In this new study, we saw that there is not only a relation between them going from diabetes to periodontal diseases, but the other way around, from the periodontal disease to diabetes,” said study leader Dr Miquel Viñas , Professor of Microbiology at the University of Barcelona.

The study was carried out with 90 patients with Type 2 diabetes. Those randomly assigned to the treatment group received oral hygiene instructions and underwent scaling and root planing using ultrasound and Gracey curettes over six months. Those in the control group received oral hygiene instructions and underwent supragingival removal of plaque and calculus using ultrasound over the same period. During this time, the researchers assessed pocket depth, gingival and plaque indices, bacterial counts, and fasting plasma glucose and serum haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, the last of which are significantly increased in diabetics.

“The main conclusion of the study is that the non-surgical treatment of periodontitis improves the glycaemic status and levels of glycated haemoglobin, and therefore proves the great importance of oral health in these patients,” said Prof. José López López, medical director of the university’s dental clinic.

The study, titled “Benefits of non-surgical periodontal treatment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic periodontitis: A randomized controlled trial”, was published on 19 December 2017 ahead of print in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology.

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