Awareness of the bidirectional relationship between diabetes, periodontal diseases, and its risk factors among diabetic patients in the Asir region, Saudi Arabia

Introduction: Bidirectional relationship between diabetes and periodontal diseases has been recognized and accepted in the literature for a long time and shown to influence each other in both development and disease progression. Age, obesity, stress, smoking, and genetic predisposition are considered risk factors for diabetes and periodontal diseases. Aims: The objective of this questionnaire study was to assess the awareness of diabetic patients regarding the bidirectional relationship between diabetes, periodontal diseases, and risk factors. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted on diabetic patients in the Asir region of Saudi Arabia between 18 and 70 years-age group individuals. A self-administrated questionnaire, which contained four sections of close-ended questions, was used. The sections included demographic characteristics, knowledge, and awareness regarding the relationship between diabetics and periodontal disease and knowledge and understanding of oral hygiene. SPSS version 20 was used to analyze the collected data, and descriptive statistical analysis was done. Results and Discussion: This study included 221 diabetic patients. The overall knowledge regarding the bidirectional relationship was high among 43%, whereas the knowledge regarding oral hygiene was high among 58.8%. The duration of diabetes (P = 0.006), medication for controlling blood sugar (P = 0.03), type of medication (P = 0.004), and the state of diabetes (P = 0.01) significantly affected the knowledge regarding the bidirectional relationship. There was a significant correlation between the understanding of oral hygiene and the knowledge of the bidirectional relationship (P = 0.0001). Conclusions: The study participants had low knowledge and awareness regarding the bidirectional relationship between diabetes and periodontal disease. However, those who had a high knowledge of oral hygiene also had an increased knowledge regarding the bidirectional correlation. Medical and dental professionals must create awareness about the importance of maintaining good oral health and influencing overall general health in diabetic patients, regardless of the presence or absence of the recognized risk factors.