Treatment of Infected Teeth and Its Affect on the Glycemic Control in Patients with Type II Diabetes

Objectives. The study investigates the effects on Hb1Ac levels in type 2 diabetics after placement of maxillary (upper) and/or mandibular (lower) full removable dentures. Background. Health department adult dental patients normally have many periodontal and dental problems. Patients with severe disease opt for removal of teeth in the upper and/or lower arch and then placement of full removable dentures to restore function. Periodontal disease, an infection of the soft and hard tissues supporting teeth, causes an inflammatory and immunologic response that destroys tissue and erodes bone. Dental infections primarily originate from tooth decay. Both can cause a systemic response; but the best evidence centers on periodontal disease and effects on diabetes. Design. This is a case-series (descriptive) study design using a routine database analysis. Methods. Subjects had type 2 diabetes, and placement of full dentures during 01/03/2006 to 03/19/2007. They had HbA1c tests 6 mouths prior and after insertion of dentures. Twenty–two patients met the selection criteria. They were from 35 to 75 years old with a mean age of 60. Result. Results show a positive effect on Hb1Ac values pre- and post insertion of dentures: pre-test x̄ of 8.73 and a post-test x̄ of 7.12, a 1.6 unit difference. Differences were significant for all 3 patient groups; all cases (p-value=0.01 < 0.05); those with upper and lower dentures (pvalue= 0.013 < 0.05), and those with either upper or lower dentures (p-value=0.0189 < 0.05). Conclusions. Evidence exits to form a hypothesis that removal of infected teeth may improve glycemic control for diabetics. Grants. PBCHD supported.