Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Regarding Association between Diabetes and Periodontal Disease in Diabetic Patients among Chennai Population

Introduction: The most major and most crucial public health issues affecting the common population are diabetes mellitus and chronic periodontitis. An individual with diabetes mellitus has impaired ability to produce insulin or respond to the hormone insulin. This hyperglycaemic condition may lead to macro and microvascular complications, impaired wound healing and periodontitis, thus this is a condition that has a significant impact on the quality of life of the affected individual. Periodontitis is the chronic inflammatory disease affecting the supporting structures of the tooth which if untreated leads to bone and tooth loss. Recent studies have proved a bidirectional association between diabetes mellitus and periodontitis. Aim: Aim of the present study was to evaluate how the diabetic population of Chennai knows, believes, and practices about this bidirectional relationship between diabetes and periodontitis. Results: From our survey we can witness only 45% of the patients were aware that treatment of gum disease among diabetics may help in improving blood glucose control. About 57% of the patients do not believe that there is an association between poor gum health and diabetes. On correlating the level of literacy with the awareness that individuals with diabetes are at higher risk for gum infection, there was no statistically significant difference with p value of 0.06. On correlating the level of literacy with the belief that oral health would be better if they did not have diabetes, no statistically significant difference was noted with p value of 0.2 Conclusion: Based on the results of the survey, it is apparent that most of the patients did not realize diabetes is associated with periodontal disease.