Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a complex metabolic disease characterized by hyperglycaemia resulted from defects in insulin secretion or action, or both. Various studies have reported on the bidirectional relationship between DM and periodontal disease. A systematic search of the literature was performed in several databases, EBSCO Medline Complete, PubMed, Science Direct and a manual search for articles from 2000 until 2019. Literature that fulfilled the inclusion criteria were identified, and data measuring plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), clinical attachment loss (CAL) and periodontal probing depth (PPD) were extracted and subjected to Random‐effects meta‐analysis. From 947 titles and abstracts screened, 11 articles were included for meta‐analysis. It was found that PI, GI, CAL and PPD were significantly higher in DM children than in non‐DM children according to the Standardized Mean different (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) (SMD 0.54, 95% CI 0.20–0.87, P = 0.002; SMD 0.63, 95% CI 0.39–0.87, P < 0.001; SMD 0.79, 95% CI 0.52–1.05, P < 0.001, SMD 0.67, 95% CI 0.23–1.11, P = 0.003, respectively). The meta‐analysis showed significant differences in PI, GI, PD and CAL between the two groups, favouring non‐DM children. Therefore, early detection of DM children with periodontal disease is crucial to prevent periodontal disease.

Objective: The study aimed to evaluate type 1 DM (T1DM) patients’ self-perceived periodontal health status and to identify the association between PD and DM. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 113 T1DM children between 3 and 18 years old from the Universiti Teknologi MARA and the University of Malaya. Periodontal health parameters, including plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing pocket depth (PPD), basic periodontal examination (BPE), and clinical attachment loss (CAL) were recorded. Self-perceived periodontal health status was assessed with questionnaires. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the sensitivity of the questionnaire and the relationship between T1DM and periodontal parameters. Results: The median age was 11.4 years. Half of them (50.4%) were females. 83.5% rated their oral condition as good, while 27.5% reported a history of gingival bleeding. Clinical examination revealed that 48.7% had healthy gingiva, whereas 47.8% had gingivitis. The question “Do you have bleeding when brushing, flossing, or eating food?” showed good accuracy in the evaluation of PD (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The questionnaire has a high potential to be used by medical professionals in identifying T1DM patients at risk of PD to guide non-dental healthcare providers in making appropriate referrals to dental services. Clinical Relevance: Early detection and timely referral of PD under coordinated medical-dental care can enhance patients’ dental care and quality of life.

Introduction: An ideal mouth rinse must have an acceptable taste and very efficient antiplaque activity. Herbal mouth rinse (Plandula®), containing extracts of Calendula officinalis and other specified herbs, is widely cultivated as a herb. It is a remarkable healing agent and even useful to act as homeopathic remedies. Previous studies have compared this product with placebo; however, comparison against chlorhexidine have not been conducted thus far. Aim of this research was to analyse the efficacy of Calendula in Plandula® for controlling dental plaque and the acceptability of its taste in comparison with chlorhexidine. Methods: A double-blind, 3-day plaque regrowth, crossover, clinical study was conducted towards 16 volunteers participated in two periods, three days each, with modified oral hygiene practices through an intervening washout period of 4 days. At the commencement of each period, the participants received oral prophylaxis. They used the allocated mouth rinse and brushed teeth without toothpaste in all of the tooth surfaces, except palatal and lingual over three days. On the fourth day, the subjects were returned for plaque index measurement only on the palatal and lingual surfaces by the Quigley Hein index (modified by Turesky). The participants rinsed with 10 ml of allocated mouth rinse three times daily for 30 seconds after tooth brushing. The participants followed the same steps during the second period using the alternate mouth rinse. They were also asked to taste both mouth rinses and evaluate with a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).Results: Median plaque score for Plandula® mouth rinse was slightly higher compared to chlorhexidine but not statistically significant, with the p-value=0.636 (p>0.05). The mean VAS scale score for Plandula® taste perception was lower than the chlorhexidine, and statistically significant (p-value=0.01; p<0.05). Conclusion: Plandula® mouth rinse that contain calendula officinalis comparable with chlorhexidine in controlling dental plaque accumulation, with an acceptable taste.