Evaluating Periodontal Health in Type 2 Diabetics with Chronic Complications

Diabetes mellitus micro and/or macrovascular complications are associated with persistent hyperglycemia. Diabetes and periodontitis have a reciprocal relationship, and they are both characterized by inflammation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the severity of periodontal disease and the quantity of periodontal tissue damage in type 2 diabetics about the number of chronic vascular problems. 127 individuals with type 2 diabetes who experienced at least one chronic consequence of their diabetes were included in this cross-sectional study. Patients with different vascular complications were compared in terms of the degree of periodontitis, gingival inflammation, and damage to periodontal tissue. In addition, we examined the severity of periodontitis and its associated periodontal characteristics based on the levels of glycaemic control and the existence of macrovascular problems. Individuals with three or four diabetic vascular complications had significantly higher periodontal disease severity and all periodontal clinical parameters than individuals with fewer complications. The severity of periodontitis in patients without macrovascular problems was significantly lower than in patients with macrovascular complications (P < 0.05). Patients with poor glycaemic control had worse gingival inflammation, but PD and CAL were not statistically different. Our results showed that the severity of periodontal disease increased as the number of chronic complications associated with diabetes increased. While the amount of periodontal tissue damage remained constant, the degree of gingival inflammation increased with poor glycaemic management.