ABSTRACT
Periodontitis has been considered the sixth complication of diabetes. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of periodontal treatment on diabetes-related healthcare costs in patients with diabetes. Data on 41,598 adults (45.7% female) with at least 1 insurance claim in 2012 for diabetes-related treatment were included in the analysis. The impact of periodontal treatment on diabetes-related healthcare costs was analysed by means of fixed effect models for panel data. The median diabetes-related healthcare costs per patient in 2012, including costs for diagnosis, treatment, medication, and hospitalisation, were 38.45 per quarter (interquartile range 11.52 - 263.14). The fixed effects models showed a reduced expenditure on diabetes-related costs of 12.03 [95%CI -15.77; -8.29] per quarter following periodontal treatment. These results support the relevance and necessity of good periodontal care for patients with diabetes.
