Endocrine Abstracts

Aim: The aim of our study was to describe oral health care behaviors among diabetic patients in Tunisia.

Method: This was a cross-sectional study involving diabetic patients hospitalised in the C department of the national institute of nutrition of Tunis between August and October 2016. A questionnaire contained a combination of open and close ended questions was specifically developed for this study. Patients were asked to answer questions related to their socio-demographic characteristics and their oral health behaviors (tooth brushing, mouth rinse and frequency of dental visits). Data about medical history, comorbidities and biology results were collected from medical file of patients.

Results: The mean age for the 101 diabetes recruited was 54.8±14.9 years old, females comprised 57% of the population and the majority were having type 2 diabetes (83%). The mean number of years since diagnosis of diabetes was 12.8±9.5 years. More than two thirds (70%) of participants were taking insulin. The average HbA1c was 10.4±2.1%. The proportion of participants who had seen a dentist within the last year was 48%. Most of them (45%) visited their dentist mainly when urgent treatment was needed or because of pain. Only 12% visited a dentist for check-up. Approximately 19% didn’t visit a dentist at least 5 years ago and 8% did never consult a dentist. The higher the A1C was, the more recent was the dentist visit (P=0.020). Regarding tooth brushing, 34% admitted to brushing their teeth once a day or less, 45% brushed their teeth at least two times daily and 21% skipped tooth brushing altogether. We observed that women were more likely than men to brush twice daily (P<0.0001). Miswak use was reported by 33.7% of subjects. A minority (8%) reported using a mouth rinse. Tooth brushing frequency was negatively associated with tooth loss (r²=0.342; P=0.001).

Conclusion: Despite the greater risk for the development of periodontal disease, the oral self-care was poor among Tunisian diabetes. Promotion of oral self-care and regular dental check-ups are needed.