Oral Symptoms in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare oral symptoms (xerostomia, burning sensation and taste alteration) between patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and healthy people.
Methods: Fifty-two subjects were recruited to the study including type 2 diabetic patients who had HbA1C ≥7% (n=26, mean age 53.23±5.22) and healthy individuals (n=26, mean age 52.77±5.45) who did not take any medicine affecting oral symptoms. General information, oral health care data and oral symptoms information of all subjects were collected using questionnaires. The data were analyzed by Chi-square or Fisher’s Exact test.
Results: The results in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, when compared to the control group, showed higher prevalence of oral symptoms of xerostomia such as feeling of dry mouth (65.4% compared to 26.9%, p=0.005), feeling of dry lip (53.8% compared to 15.4%, p=0.004), sipping liquid to aid swallowing (26.9% compared to 3.8%, p=0.049) and sucking lollies/chewing gum to relieve oral dryness (23.1% compared to none, p=0.023). In contrast, other oral symptoms of xerostomia (getting up in night to drink water and difficulty in swallowing certain foods) burning sensation (in lip, gums, tongue, palate, and buccal mucosa) and taste alteration were not significantly different.
Conclusions: This study concluded that feeling of dry mouth and lip and behaviors to alleviate the oral dryness were found more in type 2 diabetic patients, whereas other oral symptoms of xerostomia, burning sensation and taste alteration were not significantly different from healthy individuals.