Diabetes mellitus and associated oral manifestations: a review

Abstract

Oral research concerning diabetes mellitus has revealed a number of clinical implications. These include, among others, the need for more intense management of the diabetic patient with periodontal disease because tissue destruction may be accelerated, the need for rapid control of oral infection in these patients in order to prevent exacerbation of the existing metabolic imbalance, and the desirability of performing a screening for diabetes mellitus on all patients exhibiting asymptomatic parotid enlargement. Despite the explosion of knowledge concerning diabetes mellitus that has occurred since the discovery of insulin, its definitive etiology continues to elude the scientific community and its treatment remains in the realm of clinical management rather than in that of prevention and cure. In the past, research on diabetes has focused on the role of insulin in seeking the fundamental etiology of diabetes and its complications. With the progression of research, it has become apparent that the initiation and progression of the disease probably involve the interplay of a multiplicity of factors. Hereditary and immunologic factors, as suggested earlier, appear to be operated on by environmental factors, subsequently altering the body's metabolic milieu with widespread primary and secondary effects. Fertile areas for future oral research in diabetes mellitus will include, therefore, genetics, immunology, enzymology, and basement membrane pathology. On the cellular and molecular levels, particularly, the oral cavity and associated structures comprise a somewhat under‐investigated area in diabetes mellitus research and, thus, hold great promise for increasing our knowledge of this complex disease.

Adverse Oral Manifestations of Cardiovascular Drugs

“…Some authors also state that xerostomia is due to age related changes in the gland or may be due to associated risk factors like smoking and diabetes. 2,9,10,13 The dysgeusia was the common complaint of patients taking CCBs alone or CCBs in combination with other drugs, and also in patients on anti-arrhythmic drugs, this reported adverse profile is in accordance with the other studies [Mott et al,1993;Dougall and McLay,1996; Spielmean,1998;Nicholls et al, McGovern et al, 1983;Mott et al, 1993].…”

Comparison of Salivary and Serum Glucose Levels in Diabetic Patients

“…It represents one of the major chronic health problems facing the world today. 11 Diagnostic tests for diabetes generally uses blood and urine samples. Blood as a diagnostic tool has an advantage because of its close relationship to the homeostasis of the body.…”

Implants in the Medically Compromised Patient

“…In the oral cavity, diabetes mellitus is associated with xerostomia, increased levels of salivary glucose, swelling of the parotid gland, and an increased incidence of caries and periodontitis (Murrah, 1985; Report of the Expert Committee on the Diagnosis and Classification of Diabetes Mellitus, 1997;Rees, 2000). The risk for developing periodontitis in type 2 diabetics is 2.9 to 3.4 times higher than in non-diabetics (Klokkevold, 1999).…”