Dental damages in non-insulin dependent diabetes patients

Introduction: Changes in saliva and its biochemical content in diabetic patients can effect on supportive dental tissues and cause dental damage. Low carbohydrate diets, and good control of disease can reduce dental damage in diabetics. The aim of this study was to compare dental damage in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients and healthy individuals. Methods: In this case-control study, a number of 151 NIDDM patients aged 35-80 years were the case group and the same number of healthy people referred to dental clinic were selected as control group. Both group&rsquo;s oral cavity was examined and DMFT index in the groups was compared. T-test and correlation coefficient were used to analysis the data. Results: The average of DMFT in NIDDM patients was 16&plusmn;7.79 that was significantly more than in healthy people (P<0.001). Dental caries in NIDDM patients and healthy people did not differ significantly, but the average of missing teeth in NIDDM patients was significantly higher than that in healthy people (P<0.001). Conclusion: Higher DMFT index and number of missing teeth in NIDDM patients my be due to effect of the disease on saliva, the dental supportive tissue and poor oral hygiene in these patients or progressive caries of teeth that leads to end stage of dental life and extraction of teeth. &nbsp;