Pre-diabetes and Well-controlled Diabetes Are Not Associated with Periodontal Disease: the SHIP Trend Study

Aim: To examine associations of pre-diabetes and well-controlled diabetes with periodontitis.

Materials And Methods: The Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP)-Trend is a cross-sectional survey in North-Eastern Germany including 3086 participants (49.4% men; age 20-82 years). Clinical attachment loss (CAL) and periodontal probing depth (PPD) were assessed applying a random half-mouth protocol. The number of teeth was determined. Pre-diabetes comprised impaired fasting glucose and impaired glucose tolerance. Previously known diabetes was defined as well controlled if glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) was <7.0%. Participants were categorized as follows: normal glucose tolerance (NGT), pre-diabetes, newly detected type 2 diabetes (T2DM), known T2DM with HbA1c<7.0% and known T2DM with HbA1c≥7.0%.

Results: Pre-diabetes was neither associated with mean CAL and PPD in multivariable adjusted linear regression models nor with edentulism (OR = 1.09 (95%-CI: 0.69-1.71)) and number of teeth (OR = 0.96 (95%-CI: 0.75-1.22), lowest quartile versus higher quartiles) in logistic regression models. Associations with mean CAL and edentulism were stronger in poorly controlled previously known diabetes than in well-controlled previously known diabetes (for edentulism: OR = 2.19 (95%-CI: 1.18-4.05), and OR = 1.40 (95%-CI: 0.82-2.38), respectively, for comparison with NGT).

Conclusions: Periodontitis and edentulism were associated with poorly controlled T2DM, but not with pre-diabetes and well-controlled diabetes.