Oral Health Status of Type-1 Diabetic Children: A Case-Control Study

Objectives: The objectives of this study were 1) to compare the oral health status of children with Type-1 diabetes and healthy controls, and 2) to compare the oral health status of diabetic children with regards to their levels of metabolic control. Methods: This case-control study involved 64 children, 32 Type-1 diabetic children (mean age: 12±4 years) and 32 children age- and gender-matched children as controls. The case group was recruited from the Juvenile Diabetes Centre and the control group was recruited from University Paediatric Dental Clinic. Oral health examination (dental caries and periodontal health status) was conducted by a trained and calibrated examiner using WHO criteria (Kappa value>0.80). Dental caries status was recorded using DMFT/dmft index and periodontal health was assessed using plaque, gingivitis, gingival bleeding and calculus indexes. The glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level of the diabetic children was reported by the parents. The dental caries and periodontal health status between the two groups were compared using student’s t-test. Variation in oral health status with regards to the metabolic control level of the diabetic children was also determined using student’s t-test. Results: No significance difference in caries experience was observed between the diabetic children and healthy controls. However, the diabetic children exhibited significantly greater plaque deposits (p<0.05) and a higher mean plaque index (p<0.01), when compared to healthy subjects. Among the diabetic group, children with ‘not well-controlled ’ metabolic level had significantly poorer periodontal health status, when compared to those with ‘well-controlled ’ metabolic level (p<0.05). Conclusion: Type-1 diabetic children had a poor oral health status with greater plaque accumulation than children without diabetes. The ‘not well-controlled ’ diabetic children had poorer periodontal health compared to the ‘well-controlled ’ diabetics.