Association between dental visits for periodontal treatment and type 2 diabetes mellitus in an elderly Japanese cohort

Abstract Aim There is an association between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2 DM ) and periodontitis. We examined the association between the dental visit status and diabetes status in the Japanese elderly population. Materials and methods In total, 14,551 participants, aged 75 or 80 years, who underwent systemic health examinations were analysed. Three independent variables of dental visit status were investigated according to dental claims data, including whether dental treatment was received, type of dental treatment (no visit, periodontal treatment, or other dental treatment), and number of days of periodontal treatment (0, 1–4, or ≥5 days). We performed multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses to examine the relationship between dental visit status and diabetes status. Results The multivariate odds ratio ( OR ) for T2 DM was significantly lower (0.74, 95% confidence interval: 0.66–0.82) for subjects who received periodontal treatment compared with those who did not receive dental treatment. Subjects who received periodontal treatment had a significantly lower OR for T2 DM , regardless of the number of days of treatment. In the multivariate linear regression model, receiving periodontal treatment was significantly associated with decrease in A1c ( p < .05). Conclusion Dental visits to receive periodontal treatment were associated with a better diabetes status in the Japanese elderly population.