Aim: A preliminary investigation to assess the relationshipin the severity of periodontal disease in diabetics whencompared with non-diabetic subjects. Materials andMethods: A retrospective, comparative study usingperiodontal case notes of 40 subjects (20 Type 2 diabetics,20 non-diabetics) who were selected based on theinclusion and exclusion criteria. Severity of periodontaldisease was assessed through number of periodontalpocket ≥5mm. The results were compared betweensubjects whose age, gender and plaque scores are matchedwith the test group. Data obtained was then analyzed bySPSS Version 12. Results: When comparisons were madebetween test (Type 2 diabetic) and control (non-diabetic)groups, there were no significant difference (p>0.05) inthe severity of periodontal disease. However, there wasa clinically mean difference between the two groups.Conclusions: This preliminary investigation indicatedthat the severity of chronic periodontitis, as indicated inperiodontal pocketing, increased in diabetic patients whencompared to non-diabetics clinically, although it was notstatistically significant. The finding of this investigationwas thus not conclusive as it was only a retrospectivestudy using patients’ case notes. However, the resultsare now being further investigated with a proper clinicaltrial which examines periodontal parameters and diabeticstatus (HbA1c) of the subjects to determine the associationbetween periodontal disease and diabetes mellitus.

The purpose of this study was to assess the tissueresponse of Type 2 diabetic subjects towards non surgicalperiodontal therapy as compared with matched, nondiabeticsubjects. This was a retrospective, comparativestudy using periodontal case notes of 40 subjects attendingundergraduates’ periodontal clinics (20 diabetics, 20 nondiabetics),who were selected based on the inclusionand exclusion criteria. Response towards non surgicalperiodontal therapy was assessed through three clinicalperiodontal parameters, namely plaque score, gingivitisscore and number of periodontal pocket ≥5mm at thebaseline and after initial non surgical periodontal therapy.Data obtained was then analyzed by SPSS Version 12.Both diabetic and non-diabetic subjects showed significantimprovements (p-value = 0.021; 0.000; 0.001 and 0.010;0.014; 0.001) in all three parameters after the therapy.However, when comparison was made between the twogroups, there was no significant difference (p-value = 0.913;0.892 and 0.903) in any of the parameters. Periodontalconditions improved clinically in both diabetic and nondiabeticsubjects after non-surgical periodontal therapy.Therefore, both groups responded similarly towards thetherapy and thus it can be postulated that well-controlleddiabetic status does not have a significant effect on theoutcome of periodontal therapy.