Gingival bleeding in 6- to 13-year-old children with diabetes mellitus.
OBJECTIVE
This study assessed gingival bleeding in diabetic children during the mixed dentition period.


METHODS
Three hundred fifty-five 6- to 13-year-old diabetic (99% type 1) and nondiabetic control children in the mixed dentition stage were evaluated from a total cohort of 700 6- to 18-year-old children. Gingival status was assessed, and data on important diabetes-related variables were collected. Analyses were performed using Poisson's regression.


RESULTS
Diabetic children had significantly more gingival bleeding than controls for both primary and permanent teeth. The risk of gingival bleeding around the primary teeth in cases was 35% more than in the control group (P=.001); and the risk of gingival bleeding around the permanent teeth in cases was 57% more than in the controls (P<.001). The number of teeth with bleeding had a very modest, but statistically significant, association with: (1) mean HbA1c; (2) body mass index (BMI)-for-age percentile; and (3) duration of diabetes.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings demonstrate that diabetic children are at a significantly higher risk for gingival bleeding. Diabetes-related oral complications affect the primary periodontium as early as age 6 and possibly earlier. The emphasis on oral hygiene may be valuable in preventing future periodontal complications in diabetic patients.
Lal
Shantanu
S
Division of Pediatric Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. sl784@columbia.edu
Cheng
Bin
B
Kaplan
Selma
S
Softness
Barney
B
Greenberg
Ellen
E
Goland
Robin S
RS
Lalla
Evanthia
E
Lamster
Ira B
IB
D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D003818:Dentition, Mixed; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D005884:Gingival Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology*; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D010512:Periodontal Index; D012044:Regression Analysis
D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin