Effects of periodontal health intervention program on oral health-related outcomes in older patients with type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial

As the sixth complication of diabetes, periodontitis interacts with diabetes to form a vicious circle. Periodontal health interventions can improve periodontal health and the quality of life in older patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). This study aimed to explore the effect of periodontal health interventions based on the Pender Health Promotion Model on periodontal outcome index and quality of life in this patient population. This randomized controlled trial enrolled 108 patients with T2DM from the endocrine and metabolism department of a tertiary hospital. Participants were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group. The control group received routine health interventions, while the experimental group underwent a periodontal health intervention program in addition to the routine health interventions. Relevant outcome measures were assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks of intervention. Data from 103 participants were analyzed. Following the intervention, significant differences were identified between the groups in Plaque Index (PLI), Oral Hygiene Index-Simplified (OHI-S), and periodontal health knowledge, attitude, and behavior. The periodontal health intervention program can enhances periodontal health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors while positively impacting the oral health index and quality of life of older patients with T2DM.