Prevalence of diabetes among patients diagnosed with periodontitis: A retrospective cross-sectional study

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of diabetes among patients with periodontitis and to evaluate whether diabetes is related to extent and severity of periodontitis.

Method: This is a retrospective study of data observed over a 10-year period in patients referred to a specialized clinic for periodontology in the Netherlands. Patients received at the intake appointment a full-mouth periodontal examination, and based on the clinical data, patients were classified with respect to extent and severity of periodontitis. In addition, the prevalence of diabetes was recorded, based on self-report.

Results: A total of 5375 periodontitis patients were included in the study sample (mean age of 50 years). The prevalence of diabetes in this patient sample was 3.7% (n=192). No relation between diabetes and extent or severity of periodontitis could be established.

Conclusion: The prevalence of diabetes in a predominantly "controlled" diabetic population was not related to the extent and/or severity of periodontitis along with the finding that the prevalence was lower than the national diabetes prevalence in the Netherlands.