The Effectiveness of Periodontal Treatment to Improve Glycated Hemoglobin a Levels in Diabetes Patients

Objective: Periodontal disease and diabetes are two chronic pathologies with good established bidirectional relationship. Periodontal treatment in diabetic patients would contribute to a decrease in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level and to the prevention of diabetic complications. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical results of the periodontal treatment in diabetic patients with uncontrolled glycemia and to study its impact on diabetes mellitus control. Methods: 32 eligible diabetic patients with uncontrolled glycemia aged 18-65 years (mean age: 51.87±10.01 years) have participated in this study. Clinical variables included HbA1c, plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), pocket probing depth (PPD), bleeding on probing (BoP) and tooth mobility. After initial examinations, patients were received a non-surgical periodontal treatment. Patients were then recalled after treatment to assess PI and GI at 15 days, 30 days and 60 days and to assess all variables at 3 months. All patients benefited from oral hygiene instructions in every recall. Results: A significant improvement was observed between the periodontal variables at baseline and at 3 months after the non-surgical periodontal treatment. After non-surgical periodontal treatment; PI decreased from 1.85±0.22 to 0.97±0.28 (p<0,05), and GI decreased from 1.94±0.43 to 0.91±0.21 (p<0.05). Also HbA1c level concurrently decreased significantly from 7.98±0.46 to 7.66±0.41 (p<0,05). Conclusion: Good oral hygiene control and periodontal treatment may help diabetic patients to control Hb1Ac levels.