Diabetes mellitus and oral health

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common non-communicable chronic diseases, which is the combined action of genetic factors, environmental factors and lifestyle. Specific conditions occur in the oral cavity in the course of diabetes that cause changes in all oral tissues with different symptoms and signs. Increased salivary glucose level is followed by increased accumulation of dental plaque and decreased resistance to noxious agents. The most common oral manifestations in diabetic patients include higher prevalence of periodontal desease, burning mouth syndrome, disruption in salivary flow, opportunistic infections, higher prevalence of denture stomatitis, oral lichen planus, fissured tongue, angular cheilitis etc. Dental interventions in patients with well-controlled diabetes are not different from those applied to nondiabetic patients. Regular monitoring of these patients is required because of the complications that can occur.

Keywords

• diabetes mellitus
• oral changes