Introduction
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most frequent pathologies
that dentists encounter. Its clinical importance
springs from the possible occurrence of acute complications,
whose severity could mean an immediate risk for
the diabetic patient’s life and require urgent diagnosis
and treatment (1).
DM includes a group of diseases characterized by impaired
action or secretion of insulin, or both. There are
four etiologic types of diabetes, although the most frequent
are type 1 (90%) and 2 (5- 10%) (2). Prevalence of
diabetes in adults worldwide was estimated to be 4% in
1995, and is predicted to rise to 5’4% by the year 2025.
The countries with the largest number of people with
diabetes are India, China and the U.S. In developing
countries, the majority are in the age range of 45–64
years. In the developed countries, the majority of people
with diabetes are aged 65 years. There are more women
than men with diabetes (3).
Poorly controlled diabetes could lead to complications
that may even be life- threatening. Long- term complications
include: retinopathy, nephropathy, autonomic
neuropathy, peripheral neuropathy and cardiovascular
disease (2, 4).