Clinical lesions of oral mucosa in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Aim: to determine the clinical changes in oral mucosa in patients with type 2 dm. methods: a detailed oral examination was carried out in n=200 patients diagnosed of having type 2 dm for at least 5 years. latest random blood sugar (rbs) levels were collected from clinical record. results: mean age of the patients was 52.21±8.39 years with a male to female ratio being 1: 1.8. oral lesions were present in 77% patients including chronic periodontitis (37%),xerostomia (25%),mobility of teeth (13%) and traumatic ulcers (2%). family history was positive in 53% patients. the rbs levels of >200 mg/dl and <200mg/dl were found in 88% and 12% patients respectively. when clinical variables were compared,chronic periodontitis was significantly associated with rbs levels >200 mg/dl (p=0.021) while xerostomia was significantly associated with female gender (p=0.049). conclusion: type 2 dm may produce many pathological changes in the oral mucosa. routine screening and early detection of such changes through regular dental visits may help to improve oral health,compliance to drug therapy and prevent complications in these patients.