Obese Children With Type 2 Diabetes Appear More Likely to Have Poor Oral Health

A study in PLOS One has found that children are obese and have type 2 diabetes are more likely to have poor oral health than their peers. The University of Buffalo (UB) study, led by Lucy Mastrandrea, MD, PhD, an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and a pediatric endocrinologist with UBMD Pediatrics, found that among three subject groups — 19 children of normal weight, 14 obese children, and 16 obese children with type 2 diabetes — poor oral health was more common in the latter group. In terms of potential explanations, Mastrandrea notes, “Although obese adolescents with type 2 diabetes typically have access to oral health care, often through federally funded insurance, they do not routinely visit the dentist.” These findings build on supporting evidence that links diabetes with periodontal disease.

From Decisions in Dentistry. June 2017;3(6):11.