Initial study of periodontal status in non-insulin-dependent diabetics in Mauritius

Objectives: Investigation of Mauritian non-insulin diabetic periodontal health. Methods: In Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, 24 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus were matched by age with 24 controls. Because matching was incomplete for gender and race, the groups were treated as independent for data analysis. Operator-blind scores were recorded for the presence of plaque, bleeding on probing, probing depth, recession and probing attachment level. Results: When variations in plaque and age were taken into account, there was a significant difference in probing attachment level between the groups (diabetic MEAN = 4.16 mm, control MEAN = 3.09 mm), and an effect of gender on gingival bleeding which may relate to tobacco smoking. Conclusion: In an isolated community with a 13% prevalence of NIDDM, this study confirms previous periodontal findings regarding the effect of the disease.