RESUMO
The association between diabetes and periodontium is complex. Diabetes is a well established risk factor for periodontitis. Periodontitis infection complicates the severity of disease, and the degree of metabolic control of disease. Diabetes is a disease of metabolic dysregulation, primarily of carbohydrate metabolism, characterised by hyperglycemia that results from defects in insulin secretion, impaired insulin action or both. The major efforts should be directed at the prevention of periodontitis in patients at risk of developing diabetes. This proposed dual pathway of tissue destruction suggests that control of chronic periodontal infection is essential for achieving long-term control of diabetes mellitus. This dual relationship of the control of tissue destruction in chronic periodontal infection is essential also for the long term control of diabetes mellitus.