Clinical studies on the effect of type 1 diabetes on oral health in children and adolescents aged 6-17 years. A literature review

Abstract

Background and aims. Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease of autoimmune origin with early manifestations, which appear predominantly in childhood. Its incidence has increased in most European countries mainly due to refined diets and increased consumption of sweets. Diabetes is known as a predisposing factor for the development of oral diseases; therefore, prevention at an early age is essential. Genetic factors and environmental factors contribute to the risk of disease, indicating a multifactorial etiology. Along with chronic periodontitis and other oral manifestations, such as increased incidence of tooth decay, aphthous ulcers, salivary qualitative and quantitative changes represent an important segment of diabetes complications. It has been observed that people with diabetes are more prone to oral changes compared to healthy people.

In recent years, many studies have been published in the literature that have examined the relationship between type 1 diabetes and oral health. The purpose of this review is to investigate oral health indices in children with type 1 diabetes and how diabetes influences these indices.

Methods. An electronic search of the following databases was conducted to identify the literature assessing the effect of type 1 diabetes on oral health in children and adolescents aged 6-17 years: MEDLINE, Europe PMC, Google Scholar and PubMed. In total, 121 studies were identified. After removing duplicates, a total of 90 articles were included in this systematic review.

Results. This study describes the relationship between oral health in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus and presents the relationship between diabetes mellitus and the incidence of dental caries, periodontal diseases, microbial infections, as well as the influence of diabetes on orthodontic treatment and the measures that are required during the management of treatment in these patients.

Conclusions. The analysis of scientific evidence supports the fact that diabetes has a negative effect on oral health, and changes in the oral cavity will influence glycemic control, with the onset of multiple systemic complications. The association between diabetes and oral health is sometimes ignored and for this reason, instead of the early diagnosis and treatment of certain oral conditions, it leads to late diagnosis, resulting in tooth loss and sometimes even severe complications. Monitoring diabetic and dental patients can reduce diabetes-related complications.