Periodontal health and diabetes awareness among Saudi diabetes patients

Maha A BahammamDepartment of Periodontology, King Abdulaziz University Faculty of Dentistry, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi ArabiaPurpose: This study aimed to examine diabetic patients in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, regarding their general diabetic and oral health-related awareness and practices, their awareness of the association of diabetes with periodontal disease, and their sources of diabetes-related information.Methods: Diabetic patients (n=454) who were receiving care at the diabetes clinic in King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from October 2013 to May 2014, completed a six-part questionnaire assessing their sociodemographic characteristics, general and oral health awareness and practices, and sources of diabetes-related information. Descriptive statistics were used to report the results.Results: The responses indicated inadequate health-related practices in the surveyed group: 22.2% brushed their teeth twice daily, 73.6% never flossed their teeth, and while 80.2% visited a physician in the past year, only 12.6% visited a dentist during the same year. Of the respondents, 94.8% reported that they had never received advice on oral hygiene tasks in relation to diabetes from a health professional. Awareness about the diabetes and periodontal disease association was limited: 46.7% knew that diabetics have gum problems more often if their blood sugar stays very high, and only 21.8% knew that gum disease makes it harder to control blood sugar in diabetic patients. A significant association (P<0.05) was found between a higher level of education and greater general and oral awareness, as well as a significant association (P<0.05) between longer duration of disease, regular exercise, and regular visits to the physician and awareness about diabetes mellitus. Additionally, a significant association (P<0.05) was found between regular dental visits and both periodontal disease and diabetes awareness. Family and friends were the main source of diabetes-related information, and the Internet was the least likely source.Conclusion: Customized educational programs should be planned for diabetic patients according to community needs.Keywords: periodontal health, diabetes, patients, awareness, Saudi Arabia&nbsp

Awareness and practice about the association between periodontal diseases and diabetes mellitus: a cross-sectional study in Western Saudi Arabia among health care providers

Maha A Bahammam Department of Periodontology, Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Purpose: This study aims to assess the awareness and practices of dental and medical practitioners regarding the bidirectional relationship between periodontal diseases and diabetes mellitus. Patients and methods: A cross-sectional survey of randomly selected dentists and physicians practicing in Jeddah. Participants were asked several questions concerning their awareness and practices on periodontal complications, and the bidirectional link between periodontal diseases and diabetes mellitus (DM). Results: A total of 560 general practitioners (284 dentists and 276 physicians) participated in the study. There were no significant differences between the two groups regarding any sociodemographic characteristics. Overall, the awareness of all participants was low in all aspects. Moreover, dentists’ awareness and practices were significantly better than physicians as majority of the questions were about the association between periodontal diseases and DM. Conclusion: The awareness and practices about the link between periodontal diseases and DM should be improved among dental and medical practitioners to effectively prevent and control periodontal diseases and DM. Keywords: diabetes mellitus, oral health, periodontal complications, periodontal disease