The association between diabetes and periodontal disease is bidirectional. That is, diabetes triples the risk of gum problems such as periodontitis and this in turn can negatively affect the metabolic control of blood sugar (glycemia) and thereby increasing the risk of other problems associated with disease. However, the periodontal complications of diabetes are the least known in the population.

This is explained by Professor David Herrera, president of the Spanish Society of Periodontology (SEPA), who addressed the clinical implications of the association between diabetes and periodontal diseases in the Commemorative Scientific Session on the occasion of World Diabetes Day, which the Royal National Academy of Medicine (RANM) held on November 14, with the collaboration of Colgate and the scientific participation of the Spanish Society of Periodontology and Osseointegration (SEPA) and the Spanish Diabetes Society (SED).

Periodontal diseases are more common and tend to be more advanced in people with diabetes than in those without. “If blood glucose levels are not properly controlled, there is an increased risk of gum problems, especially periodontitis, which can cause tooth loss. Like other infections, periodontitis has been shown to be a factor that causes an increase in blood sugar and makes diabetes more difficult to control ”, says the president of SEPA.

According to experts, periodontal complications are already considered "the sixth complication of diabetes." According to José Luis Herrera, emeritus professor at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), “the most frequent complications are, in this order, diabetic retinopathy, nephropathy, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease and neuropathy.

According to the latest data that we know, periodontal diseases have been appearing in sixth place for some years ”.