ABSTRACT
Objectives: The study looks into the relation of oral hygiene measures implemented by the diabetes patients and the presence of debris, calculus and gingivitis
Materials and methods: The study was conducted among 404 diabetic patients. All patients were confirmed diabetics for which they were being treated. After a written consent and completing a demographic questionnaire, an oral examination was done by the doctors to record the oral Hygiene status [the presence of debris, calculus and gingivitis] via the criteria of the gingival index by [Loe H.], for the gingival inflammation. The criteria used to score the oral debris and calculus indexes by [Green and Vermillion]
Results: the majority of diabetic patient [86.0%] was with oral hygiene problems. 49.2% were using the brushing as the self-oral hygiene measure, 29%were using all methods. Only 29.2% of all the patients were free from gingivitis, debris and calculus. Supra gingival calculus, alone or along with gingivitis and debris was the less frequent finding. Whereas the debris was the highest frequent finding
Conclusion: As oral health is integral with general health, diabetes exaggerates the response of the periodontal tissues to the presence of debris and calculus. Good oral hygiene behavior, including brushing, flossing and using mouthwash, is important self-care measures and apart from regular dental office visits and motivation for this group of patients. It should be done in proper technique and adequate frequency