Periodontal health and diabetes awareness among Saudi diabetes patients

Abstract

PurposeThis study aimed to examine diabetic patients in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, regarding their general diabetic and oral health-related awareness and practices, their awareness of the association of diabetes with periodontal disease, and their sources of diabetes-related information.MethodsDiabetic patients (n=454) who were receiving care at the diabetes clinic in King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from October 2013 to May 2014, completed a six-part questionnaire assessing their sociodemographic characteristics, general and oral health awareness and practices, and sources of diabetes-related information. Descriptive statistics were used to report the results.ResultsThe responses indicated inadequate health-related practices in the surveyed group: 22.2% brushed their teeth twice daily, 73.6% never flossed their teeth, and while 80.2% visited a physician in the past year, only 12.6% visited a dentist during the same year. Of the respondents, 94.8% reported that they had never received advice on oral hygiene tasks in relation to diabetes from a health professional. Awareness about the diabetes and periodontal disease association was limited: 46.7% knew that diabetics have gum problems more often if their blood sugar stays very high, and only 21.8% knew that gum disease makes it harder to control blood sugar in diabetic patients. A significant association (P<0.05) was found between a higher level of education and greater general and oral awareness, as well as a significant association (P<0.05) between longer duration of disease, regular exercise, and regular visits to the physician and awareness about diabetes mellitus. Additionally, a significant association (P<0.05) was found between regular dental visits and both periodontal disease and diabetes awareness. Family and friends were the main source of diabetes-related information, and the Internet was the least likely source.ConclusionCustomized educational programs should be planned for diabetic patients according to community needs.

Oral hygiene practice of adult diabetic patients and their awareness about oral health problems related to diabetes

“…Or it could simply be that many dentists do not take on the responsibility of providing oral hygiene education and advice. Similar findings have been reported in many previous studies (Allen et al, 2008;Al Habashneh et al, 2010;Bahammam, 2015;Bowyer et al, 2011).…”

“…Furthermore, about half of the respondents in this study have under-graduate or postgraduate degrees (48.5%), which probably reflects a higher level of general knowledge and awareness. Most of the studies that reported a lower level of awareness were conducted on diabetic patients visiting hospitals and outpatient clinics (Bahammam, 2015;Allen et al, 2008).…”

“…In Bahammam (2015) study, it was reported that family and friends were the main source of information and the Internet was the last source.…”

“…The role of dentists in diabetes screening and support requires further investigation. Bahammam (2015) reported in his study on Saudi diabetic patients that 94% of diabetic patients never received health advice from health professionals. Family and friends were the main source of information, while the Internet was the smallest source.…”

Relationship between Periodontal Disease and Diabetes: A Survey among Internal Medicine Residents in Saudi Arabia

“…Majority of the respondents (58%) reported that they feel uncomfortable performing a simple periodontal examination which was more when compared to the findings of Asa′ad et al [18]. It was observed from similar studies, that medical practitioners are less interested in educating their patients on periodontal disease and its association with diabetes [14]. In our study, 11.5% residents stated that they never referred their patients to dentists for oral evaluation.…”