title: Oral health behavior and HbA1c in Indian adults with type 2 diabetes.
abstract: Prevention and treatment of oral diseases and diabetes require persistent daily self-care, as there is a mutual association between periodontitis severity and level of diabetes control. In this questionnaire study, we investigated oral health behavior, attitudes, and knowledge of diabetes-related factors among 500 Indian adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The questionnaire asked about oral self-care, dental visits, self-perceived problems, and knowledge of the relationship between diabetes and oral health. The most recent glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) value was obtained from patient medical records. Overall, 22% of participants reported twice-daily toothbrushing; women were more likely than men to brush twice daily (P< 0.001). With respect to age and diabetes control, participants aged 35-44 years with good diabetes control had the highest rate of twice-daily brushing (P< 0.001). Oral self-care and use of dental services were poor among participants. The present results indicate that Indians with type 2 diabetes need further promotion of oral self-care and regular dental checkups to compensate for their increased risk of oral disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Institute of Dental Sciences, Bareilly, UP, India. drashishagg@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Ashish
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
authors.forename: Sunil R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Panat
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003729:Dental Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis*; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000150:complications; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin