Diabetes Mellitus and Periodontal Health: Dentists Knowledge

Objectives: There is a strong body of evidence to support the relationship between periodontal diseases and diabetes mellitus. Unless dental practitioners are aware of this link, they cannot apply the information to their daily practice. The aim of the study was, therefore, to evaluate the knowledge of dental practitioners concerning the effect of diabetes on periodontal health. Subjects and Methods: This was a crosssectional survey of randomly selected dental practitioners in Kuwait. Participants were asked about specific periodontal complications which they believed that patients diagnosed with diabetes were more susceptible to. Results: A total of 220 dental practitioners (133 general dental practitioners and 87 dental specialists) participated in the study. Less than 60% of all study participants reported that tooth loss due to periodontal reasons and periodontal abscess were frequent among diabetic patients. Dental specialists, especially periodontists, were significantly more aware of periodontal complications associated with diabetes. Factors significantly associated with having knowledge about the effect of diaReceived: September 26, 2010 Accepted: March 30, 2011 Assist. Prof. Areej K. Al-Khabbaz, DDS, MS Department of Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, Health Sciences Center Kuwait University, Jabriya PO Box 24923, 13110 Safat (Kuwait) Tel. +965 9929 9448, E-Mail areejalkhabbaz @ hsc.edu.kw © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel 1011–7571/11/0206–0538$38.00/0 Accessible online at: www.karger.com/mpp D ow nl oa de d by : 54 .1 91 .4 0. 80 9 /1 6/ 20 17 9 :2 1: 58 P M