Correlation between glycaemic state and tooth mobility in periodontal patients

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the association of tooth mobility with blood glucose levels and control in patients with periodontitis
Methodology: The study was conducted at the department of Oral Medicine, Ziauddin Dental Hospital, Karachi. The study design was cross-sectional. The duration of this study was of 6 months, between December 2018 and May 2019. The study population involved 348 patients with chronic periodontitis. After recording demographic details and dental charting, tooth mobility scores were correlated with gingival crevicular blood glucose, finger capillary blood glucose and glycosylated hemoglobin levels by Pearson’s correlation. Linear regression was applied to assess the inter-relation between variables.
Results: The mean age of individuals who participated in this study was 43+/-10.4 years. The average number of teeth present in patients with glucose levels <180mg/dl was 25.5+/-2.5 compared to 23.2+/-2.9 in individuals with glucose values of >200mg/dl. A moderate positive correlation (r=0.658) was seen between gingival crevicular blood glucose levels and tooth mobility. Finger capillary blood glucose levels also showed good correlation (R=0.653) with tooth mobility scores. HbA1c scores showed a strong positive correlation(R=0.733). Linear regression confirmed increased HbA1c as a risk factor for tooth mobility (R2=0.524, p value= 0.000).
Conclusion: Tooth mobility and glycaemic levels are strongly interrelated. This study provides evidence that poor glycaemic control may contribute to the etiology of tooth mobility in patients with periodontitis.

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