Inter-disciplinary Approach Ought to Periodontitis and Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in India

Abstract

Oral health of diabetic individuals has been the subject of many studies in recent years. Periodontal disease is identified as the sixth complication of diabetes mellitus. Periodontitis is one of the numerous complications of Type 2 diabetes mellitus but is less clearly recognized in Type 1 Diabetes, this association is less straightforward [1,2]. While extensive work has been done to determine and document the increasing incidence of Type 2 diabetes worldwide, comparatively less attention has been focused on the prevalence of Type 1 diabetes, especially in the developing world. In diabetic subjects with periodontitis, those with HbA1c levels over 8% had crevicular fluid levels of interleukin-1 beta (IL-1b) almost twice as high as subjects with HbA1c levels <8%. The net effect of these host defense alterations in diabetes is an increase in periodontal inflammation, attachment loss, and bone loss. The increased levels of periodontal attachment and bone loss seen in diabetic individuals may be associated with the alterations in connective tissue metabolism that uncouple the resorptive and formative responses [3].