Effects of Periodontal Treatment on Clinical Parameters and Glucose Metabolism in Diabetic Patients

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder that affects the uptake of glucose into cells. This causes a cascade of systemic alterations that may lead to kidney failure, cardiovascular complications, altered tissue healing, retinopathies and gangrene. Diabetes is also associated to increased susceptibility to infections and inflammation.

It has been observed that diabetic patients suffer more often from oral infections such as periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is an infectious-inflammatory disease that leads to destruction of the surrounding tissues of the tooth. It is proposed that the mechanisms responsible for systemic complication are implicated in the development of periodontal disease. This has been evaluated in studies where diabetic patients showed increased levels of inflammatory cytokines, subgingival bacteria and limited response to treatment. Its has also been suggested that established periodontitis in the diabetic patient leads to insulin resistance due to infection and liberation of cytokines from periodontal tissues and thus worsening the diabetic condition.

This study is aimed to establish the response to periodontal treatment with antibiotics and the kinetics of glucose levels in diabetic patients.