Dental Pocket and Type 2 Diabetes among Elderly People Aged 88 in Japan - Report on Improvements to Analytical Methods

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to clarify the relationship between periodontal pocket depth and type 2 diabetes in individuals aged 88. We re-examined the relationship between periodontal pockets and type 2 diabetes in 508 older adults aged 88 years, excluding those individuals without residual teeth or teeth available for periodontal pocket measurement. METHODS: The subjects of this study were individuals who underwent dental check-ups in Matsudo city for individuals aged 88 years. We performed binomial logistic regression analyses to examine the association of presence of periodontal pockets and type 2 diabetes. RESULTS: Logistic regression analyses with covariates showed a significant association between deep periodontal pockets and type 2 diabetes in the continuous teeth model (OR: 2.26, 95% CI: 1.23–4.16) and in the teeth categorical model (OR: 2.04, 95% CI: 1.22–3.44). The results were almost identical to the original findings. CONCLUSION: A significant association was identified between periodontal pockets and an increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes among 508 Japanese individuals aged 88 years, after excluding those without residual teeth or teeth eligible for periodontal pocket measurement. These findings closely align with the original results and reinforce the importance of promoting dental check-ups, highlighting the role of oral hygiene in preventive healthcare even for those aged 88.