Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Helped by Periodontal Therapy
Researchers from Kyushu Dental College in Kitakyushu, Japan investigated the impact of periodontal therapy on patients with Type 2 diabetes, as compared to nondiabetic patients, and found that periodontal therapy decreased lipid peroxide, an oxidative stress index, in diabetic patients.
In their study that appeared in the November issue of the Journal of Periodontology, patients with Type 2 diabetes and periodontal disease who recieve periodontal therapy see levels of oxidative stress, a condition in which antioxidant levels are lower than normal, reduced to the same levels as nondiabetic patients.
"Our research emphasized one of the benefits of having periodontal therapy for patients with diabetes," said one of the study suthors, Kazuo Sonoki, MD, PhD, at Kyushu Dental College. "However, this was just a preliminary study and more research should be conducted to evaluate how periodontal disease affects both people with and without diabetes."
It has been found that periodontal disease and diabetes can lead to atherosclerosis. It has been thought that oxidative stress is linked to heart disease because oxidation of LDL(low-dentsity lipoprotein) in the endothelium is a precursor to plaque formation. Recently, oxidative stress has emerged as an important factor for atherosclerosis in patients with diabetes.
"We hear every day about how more and more people are being diagnosed with diabetes," said Preston D. Miller, Jr., DDS, and president of American Association of Periodontology. "This research confirms that patients with diabetes should be especially conscious of their periodontal health."
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