Effects of Initial Periodontal Treatment in Moderately Compensated and Decompensated Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Objective: The objectives of this research were to evaluate the effect of periodontal therapy in moderately compensated and decompensated type 2 diabetic patients.

Materials and Methods: 20 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) and periodontal disease were selected and divided into two groups (based on HbA1c level): Group 1: Moderately compensated; Group 2: Decompensated. The analyses including clinical periodontal parameters and the quantification of gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), the IL1-β expression in the GCF and Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and fasting glucose (FG) from venous blood were performed at 0, 3, and 6 months.

Results: Both groups presented improvement in all clinical periodontal parameters as well as quantification of gingival crevicular fluid and in the expression of IL-1ß present in the fluid after 6 months. However, no statistically significant difference was found in the levels of HbA1C in the group 1 after 6 months, although a significant increase was found after six months in the group 2. While in relation to the FG, a great improvement was found in the group 1 and a significant increase in the group 2 after six months.

Conclusions: It was possible to observe that conventional periodontal treatment (scaling and root planning) is more effective for moderately compensated type 2 diabetic patients’ glycemic control rather than for the decompensated patients.