Diabetes Awareness in Regard to Oral Health

Diabetes encompasses a group of metabolic disorders having following characterstics as hyperglycaemia secondary to defects in insulin secretion, insulin action or both. Diabetic patients display a oral disorders including sialosis, xerostomia, taste impairment, oral candidosis and oral lichen planus. Studies indicate that diabetic patients are more likely to develop periodontal disease and display a greater severity of periodontal disease, the severity of which is related to the long-term metabolic control of diabetes, not the duration of diabetes.

Weakening of the periodontal ligament, regeneration and microangiopathies in the gingival area. The specific diabetic changes in the periodontium are more pronounced after orthodontic tooth movement. Because DM patients, and especially those who are uncontrolled have a higher tendency for periodontal breakdown, they must be considered in the orthodontic treatment plan as periodontal patients, and treatment considerations must be made accordingly.