Assessment of Oral Health Status among Children with Type I Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-sectional Study

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is among the four noncommunicable diseases. There are two types-type I and type II. The prevalence of type I DM in India is 0.26/1,000 population (1992). This study was carried out to assess dental caries status and gingival status. The study group was compared with the nondiabetic control group to find any association with metabolic control of the disease.

A total sample size of 200 subjects was selected out of 100 patients referred to treat their poorly controlled type I diabetes mellitus at the tertiary hospital. Another 100 nondiabetic subjects were selected as controls. An oral clinical examination used a mouth mirror, dental explorer, visible light source, and cotton gauze. Decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT), gingival index, plaque index, and calculus index were evaluated.

Comparison of the gingival index between cases and control was found to be significant, where the p-value is <0.001. This points out that type I diabetic patients have more chance of gingival problems than others. The increased plaque index indicates the need to give more importance to oral health as it may lead to an increased calculus index in the future, leading to periodontal problems. It was found that glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is directly proportional to the gingival index.

Maintaining good oral health through regular check-ups with dental experts and motivating and educating type I diabetic patients as they are more prone to dental issues.

Thankappan N, Chandran V, Venugopal M, et al. Assessment of Oral Health Status among Children with Type I Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-sectional Study. Int J Clin Pediatr Dent 2024;17(10):1124-1128.