| Summary: | <strong>Background</strong>: morbidity due to diabetes mellitus is increasing steadily. This disease is characterized by progressive impairment of multiple metabolic functions and is likely to cause oral diseases.<br /> <strong>Objective</strong>: to characterize the oral health status of diabetic patients. <br /><strong>Methods</strong>: a case series study involving 120 diabetic patients treated at the Mártires de Sagua Teaching Dental Clinic was conducted from January 2010 to March 2011. The variables analyzed included: duration of diabetes mellitus, oral diseases, epidemiological indicators, oral hygiene, among others. <br /><strong>Results</strong>: the most common oral diseases were: periodontal disease, dental cavities, masticatory dysfunction and denture stomatitis. The relationship between the duration of diabetes mellitus and oral diseases showed high statistical significance. DMFT values increased with age. Tooth mortality rate showed an overall average of 13.8, the group aged 80 years and over was the most affected with 24.5. The most significant risk factors were: poor oral hygiene, history of dental cavities, missing teeth without replacement, among others. <br /><strong>Conclusion</strong>: diabetic patients should consider the control of their disease and take care of their oral hygiene, thus the risk of complications related to oral diseases decreases.
|
|---|