edited by Carmen Mortellaro, Professor of Odontostomatological Diseases of UniCamillus
On November 14th it is celebrated the World Diabetes Day, established in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the WHO, to inform public opinion on diabetes, prevention, disease management and complications.
Numerous scientific evidences confirm that diabetes can have important repercussions on the condition of the teeth and mouth, but only 42% of patients are aware of it and 49% of them have never received information about it. This despite the fact that 76% lost one or more natural teeth and many found themselves living with bleeding (43%) or gum recession (24.7%), dry mouth (35.6%), halitosis (25.6%), mucosal ulcers (20.4%).
This is the picture that emerges from a survey conducted by the Italian Diabetics Association (FAND) on a large sample of Italians over the age of 30, suffering from Type 1 and 2 diabetes, at the end of 2017.
The survey clearly revealed a substantial lack of the essential cognitive tools for a person affected by diabetes to preserve the integrity of his mouth over time, ignoring, on the other hand, that through the examination of the oral cavity, an attentive specialist could also intercept signs of pre-diabetes and help diagnose the disease early.
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