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Published on: January 12, 2019
Gingival bleeding in 6- to 13-year-old children with diabetes mellitus
Shantanu Lal1, Bin Cheng, Selma Kaplan
1Division of Pediatric Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. sl784@columbia.edu
Purpose:
This study assessed gingival bleeding in diabetic children during the mixed dentition period.
Methods:
Three hundred fifty-five 6- to 13-year-old diabetic (99% type 1) and nondiabetic control children in the mixed dentition stage were evaluated from a total cohort of 700 6- to 18-year-old children. Gingival status was assessed, and data on important diabetes-related variables were collected. Analyses were performed using Poisson's regression.
Results:
Diabetic children had significantly more gingival bleeding than controls for both primary and permanent teeth. The risk of gingival bleeding around the primary teeth in cases was 35% more than in the control group (P=.001); and the risk of gingival bleeding around the permanent teeth in cases was 57% more than in the controls (P<.001). The number of teeth with bleeding had a very modest, but statistically significant, association with: (1) mean HbA1c; (2) body mass index (BMI)-for-age percentile; and (3) duration of diabetes.
Conclusions:
These findings demonstrate that diabetic children are at a significantly higher risk for gingival bleeding. Diabetes-related oral complications affect the primary periodontium as early as age 6 and possibly earlier. The emphasis on oral hygiene may be valuable in preventing future periodontal complications in diabetic patients.
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