Aim: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disease with insulin deficiency or dysfunction. Notably, T2DM also has clinical and radiological implications in the oral region. This study aims to evaluate the changes in decay, missed, and filled teeth (DMFT) indexes on panoramic radiographs of T2DM patients at the end of a five-year follow-up and compare them with the control group.
Materials and Methods: Two panoramic radiographs taken five years (mean 5.32±0.24) apart from each of the 92 patients (46 T2DM and 46 healthy) were evaluated. The DMFT index was calculated in a total of 184 panoramic radiographs and compared statistically.
Results: When the DMFT index calculated on the first radiographs used in the five-year follow-up of the T2DM patients was compared with the DMFT index five years later, a statistically significant increase was found in the mean values except for D (p˂0.05)
Conclusion: T2DM does not affect DMFT. As the DMFT values of both groups increased at the end of five years, it was determined that advanced age exacerbated DMFT. Panoramic radiography can be used in the follow-up of DMFT