Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy as Adjunctive Therapy to Scaling and Root-planing in the Management of Periodontitis in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes and Periodontitis are both prevalent diseases affecting millions of Americans. Periodontitis is prevalent among Diabetics. Furthermore, Periodontitis and associated inflammation can increase insulin resistance in Diabetics and worsens the condition. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) has the potential to improve periodontal treatment outcome in poorly controlled diabetics. The study will compare periodontal treatment (SRP) outcome between 2 main diabetic type 2 patient groups receiving medical care treatment: either Conventional Wound Therapies (CWC) with or without adjunctive Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy at LLU Health.

24 poorly controlled diabetic mellitus (DM) type 2 subjects (HbA1c =>7%) with Periodontitis will be assigned into the study arms HBO therapy and Non HBO therapy, based on their medical needs.

For all subjects demographic data (age, gender, ethnicity, smoking history, alcohol use history, BMI, current medication list) and oral health habits will be obtained. Blood samples for HbA1c determinations, clinical periodontal measurements (plaque index, probing measurements including pocket depth, attachment levels, gingival index and bleeding-on-probing) and subgingival microbial samples will be obtained at baseline and end of the study. Subgingival microbial samples will be collected from three randomly selected sites and analyzed for detection of about 300 of the most prevalent oral bacterial species. Differences in periodontal clinical outcomes and bacterial profiles will be identified utilizing ANCOVA (Analysis of Covariance).