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 cross-sectional 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 diabetes on periodontal health in logistic regression analysis were dentists who were older and those who were specialists. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study indicate that knowledge about the effects of diabetes on periodontal health among this sample of dental practitioners is generally low, and dentists may underestimate the outcomes of periodontal diseases in diabetic patients.