[Diabetes and Periodontitis: A Bidirectional Relationship]

Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, a defect in insulin action or a combination of both. Periodontitis is now considered a chronic localized infection of the oral cavity that can trigger inflammatory host immune responses at local and systemic levels, and can also be a source of bacteremia. It is now known that periodontitis has an influence on the pathogenesis of certain systemic diseases. The biological relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease is well documented. In the mid-90s sufficient scientific support for the association between diabetes and periodontitis was published, and periodontitis was designated as the sixth complication of diabetes. There have been studies that show an improvement in both clinical and immunological parameters of periodontitis and glycemic control in long-term diabetes after treatment of periodontal disease. In addition, scientific evidence confirms that poorer glycemic control contributes to a worse periodontal condition. The interplay between the 2 conditions highlights the importance of the need for a good communication between the internist and dentist about diabetic patients, considering always the possibility that the 2 diseases may be occurring simultaneously in order to ensure an early diagnosis of both.