Abstract

Aim: To study whether periodontal condition is associated with the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Materials and Methods: A population‐based follow‐up study was conducted among persons born in 1935 and living in the city of Oulu, Finland (n = 395). The baseline examinations were done during 1990–1992, and the follow‐up examinations were done during 2007–2008. The data were gathered by questionnaires, laboratory tests and clinical measurements. Poisson regression models were used in the data analyses. Results: The adjusted rate ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the incident T2DM among subjects with 4–5 mm deep periodontal pockets (n = 98), among subjects with 6 mm deep or deeper periodontal pockets (n = 91), and among edentulous subjects (n = 118) were 1.32 (95% CI: 0.69–2.53), 1.56 (95% CI: 0.84–2.92) and 1.00 (95% CI: 0.53–1.89), respectively, compared to dentate subjects without deepened (4 mm deep or deeper) periodontal pockets (n = 88). The adjusted RR per site (the number of sites with deepened periodontal pockets as a continuous variable) was 1.02 (95% CI: 1.00–1.04). Conclusions: Poor periodontal condition may be a predictor of the development of T2DM. However, the causality between periodontal condition and the development of T2DM remains uncertain.