Minor manifestations of periodontal diseases in young adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Periodontal and microbiological findings.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate periodontal status and microbiological conditions in young adults with insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM) in comparison with age- and sex-matched non-diabetic controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-one patients, 18-24 years of age with IDDM since childhood, were examined and the results were compared to those of a group of 41 sex- and age-matched non-diabetic controls. According to the HbA(1c) %, the group of diabetic patients was divided into two groups, with good or poor metabolic control. RESULTS: Periodontal health, expressed in probing pocket depths and marginal bone loss, was fairly good in all patients. Fifty per cent of the patients in the study and control groups displayed probing pocket depths ≥4 mm, mostly pocket depths 4 mm. These findings were also equally distributed among the patients with good and poor metabolic control. No significant differences were found between the groups regarding bleeding on probing, but in the number of sites with excessive bleeding the study group exhibited higher scores than the healthy controls. Different microbiological species were equally distributed between the groups. CONCLUSION: Neither periodontal nor microbiological status in young adults with IDDM differs from that of healthy controls.