Type 1 diabetes and periodontal disease: a literature review

Objective: This narrative review examines the literature on type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and periodontitis pathogenesis, seeking to determine the effectiveness of periodontal therapy in improving glycemic control in individuals with T1DM. Methods: A detailed search of the literature was conducted in the following electronic databases: PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and Cochrane Library. Inclusion criteria were systematic reviews with meta-analyses published between 2015 and 2020, and human peer-reviewed clinical trials addressing the effectiveness of periodontal treatment on glycemic control in individuals with T1DM published between 1995 and 2020. Results: The search retrieved 3 systematic reviews and 9 original research papers that included 10 clinical studies. Discussion: Three systematic reviews on T1DM and periodontal disease suggested that individuals with T1DM have more features of periodontitis than healthy subjects, although long-term data are scarce. Nine of the ten clinical studies showed no impact on glycemic control in individuals with T1DM, while 1 study reported improvement. Conclusion: The selected literature lacked data on long term assessment and adequate randomization with controls. The data perused did not provide sufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of periodontal therapy in improving glycemic control in type 1 diabetes or to suggest that T1DM is a risk factor for periodontal disease.