Diabetes prevalence may be linked to higher caries experience, according to a study recently published in Public Health. Individuals with diabetes have increased decayed, missing, and filled teeth (DMFT) scores.
Although evidence suggests a link between diabetes and caries, some uncertainty remains about its strength and direction. This study adds to the existing research on this relationship, the authors wrote.
"This study contributes to the growing collection of knowledge of the effect of diabetes on dental caries experience,” wrote the authors, led by Vahan Boyajyan, MPH, of the Drexel Dornsife School of Public Health (Public Health, January 9, 2025, Vol. 239, pp. 77-79).
This cross-sectional study analyzed data from the 2013-2020 cycles of the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and included 14,997 participants.
Diabetes prevalence was determined using glycohemoglobin levels and self-reported diabetes, while caries were assessed using the DMFT score from standardized dental exams. Adjusted associations with dental caries or DMFT scores were examined using Poisson models, they wrote.
Individuals with diabetes and prediabetes had 42% (95% confidence interval [CI], 37% to 46%) and 30% (95% CI, 27% to 34%) higher DMFT scores, respectively, compared to those without diabetes. After adjusting for age and sex, these differences decreased to 6% and 3%, respectively.
Furthermore, in the fully adjusted model, a dose-response relationship emerged, with individuals with diabetes and prediabetes showing 4.5% (95% CI, 1.7% to 7.4%) and 1.7% (95% CI, -0.6% to 4.1%) higher DMFT scores, respectively, compared to those without diabetes, they wrote.
However, the study had limitations. Excessive and frequent sugar consumption was linked to both type 2 diabetes and dental caries, but the study did not account for participants' nutrition, potentially leading to residual confounding, the authors added.
"Future studies should explore potential mechanisms of this association, interventions to ameliorate the impacts of diabetes on oral health, and better measurement of social determinants of health to assess their role in this association," they concluded.
