Diabetes and Its Oral Complications
Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body does not effectively use the insulin it produces.
The most common consequences of diabetes include an increased risk of heart attack and stroke, circulatory disorders, diabetic retinopathy, and kidney failure.
In addition to these systemic manifestations, there are a number of oral complications associated with diabetes, among which the following are particularly noteworthy:
- Tooth Decay. The incidence and severity of tooth decay are higher in patients with poorly controlled diabetes.
- Ulcers. They develop more easily in people with diabetes, and the incidence is much higher.
- Oral candidiasis. It is associated with atrophic changes in the tongue, and its incidence is much higher than in non-diabetic patients.
- Glossitis. It results from changes in the taste buds and is accompanied by a burning sensation in the mouth.
- Xerostomia. A qualitative and quantitative alteration of saliva, sometimes accompanied by inflammation of the salivary glands.
- Lichen planus, leukoplakia, and lichenoid reactions. The incidence of these lesions is higher in diabetic patients due to immunosuppression or the medications used to treat diabetes. A condition known as Grispan syndrome may develop, characterized by diabetes, lichen planus, and high blood pressure.
- Abnormalities in dental development. Development may be accelerated or delayed depending on the age at which diabetes first appears. A link has been described between cleft palate and newborns of mothers with poor metabolic control of diabetes.
Periodontal disease. There is a bidirectional relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease. Good diabetes control is essential for an adequate response to periodontal treatment.
