title: Attitudes, awareness and oral health-related quality of life in patients with diabetes.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge diabetic patients have of their risk for periodontal disease, their attitude towards oral health and their oral health-related quality of life (OHRQL). One hundred and one consecutive patients (age range 31-79 years) recruited from a diabetic outpatient clinic participated in the study. Twenty-seven per cent of participants had type 1 diabetes, 66% type 2 and 7% did not know what type of diabetes they had. The length of time since participants were diagnosed as diabetic ranged from 1 to 48 years. Metabolic control of diabetes as determined by HbA1c levels ranged from 6.2% to 12.0% compared with the normal range of 4.5-6.0%. Thirty-three per cent of participants were aware of their increased risk for periodontal disease, 84% of their increased risk for heart disease, 98% for eye disease, 99% for circulatory problems and 94% for kidney disease. Half of the participants who were aware of their increased risk for periodontal disease had received this information from a dentist. Dental attendance was sporadic, with 43% reporting attendance within the last year. OHRQL was not significantly affected by the presence of diabetes in the group surveyed, in comparison with a previous survey of non-diabetic patients. A significant association was found between metabolic control and dentate status. Awareness of the potential associations between diabetes, oral health and general health needs to be increased in diabetic patients.
authors.affiliation: University Dental School & Hospital, Cork, Ireland. e.allen@ucc.ie
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Ziada
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: O'Halloran
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Clerehugh
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Allen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001364:Awareness; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012306:Risk; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires