DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2014.v02i06.095

Pages: 3337-3342

The association between diabetes and inflammatory periodontal diseases has been studied extensively for more than 50 years. The author reviews the two way relationships between diabetes and periodontal diseases. MEDLINE search of the English language literature identified primary research reports published on (a) relationships between diabetes and periodontal diseases since 1990 and (b) effects of periodontal infection on glycemic control and diabetes complications since 1960. Recent research has shown that diabetes may increase the risk of periodontitis, and it has been proposed that chronic periodontal disease may influence the natural course of diabetes. Treatment and longitudinal observational studies provided evidence to support periodontal infection having an adverse effect on glycemic control, although not all investigations reported an improvement in glycemic control after periodontal treatment, evidences is supported periodontal disease increasing the risk for diabetes complications. The scientific evidence reviewed supports diabetes having an adverse effect on periodontal health and periodontal disease having an adverse effect on glycemic control and on diabetes-related complications. Further research is needed to clarify these relationships and larger, prospective, controlled trials with ethnically diverse populations are warranted to establish that treating periodontal disease can positively influence glycemic control and possibly reduce the burden of diabetes-related complications.