Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Affects Enamel Thickness and Mineral Content

Objectives: Several orthodontic patients are currently suffering from Type 1 diabetes that is affecting their bone and teeth development. Understanding the morphological changes of the tooth associated with Type 1 Diabetes may lead to the early treatment of these problems and simplifying orthodontic treatment. The goal of this study was to assess the effect of T1DM on the enamel thickness, dentin thickness, dentin formation rate and dentin mineral apposition rate using the Streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rat model.
Methods: Experimental T1DM was induced in 3-week old male Wistar rats (n= 10) by a single dose of 60mg/kg body weight of STZ. Body weights, the presence of glucose in urine and blood glucose levels were recorded on days 0,2,7,14,21 and 28 after STZ injection. All rats were injected with calcein twice during the experiment and sacrificed at the age of 7 weeks old where the right mandibles were dissected. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and Micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) were used to compare the morphological changes in the tooth, enamel and dentin thickness of T1DM group and the control group (n= 10) at different regions of the crown analogue part along the axis of the mandibular incisor. All results were compared using student t-test (p<0.05).
Results: The enamel and dentine thickness in the diabetic rats were significantly reduced (hypoplasia) and there was a significant reduction of the rate of dentine mineral apposition and formation, while there was no significant effect of the T1DM condition on the mineral density of enamel and dentin
Conclusions: T1DM may have a detrimental influence on the formation of enamel and dentin in the early growth stage. A better understanding of how diabetes affects tooth structure will improve orthodontic treatment planning for diabetic patients.