Objective:

To determine the knowledge about oral health among adult patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, as well as its relationship with glycemic level, sociodemographic factors, oral hygiene habits and professional dental care.

Design:

Observational cross-sectional study.

Location:

Primary Care consultations in four health centers.

Participants:

Accidental random sampling was used to include a total of 247 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Main measures:

Patients completed a questionnaire on the relationship between oral health and diabetes, classifying them into two knowledge groups according to the number of correct answers obtained. Data related to social background, oral self-care, use of dental services, and the most recent glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values were also collected.

Results:

Patients with little or no education showed a significantly higher percentage of limited knowledge (56.04%) than patients with secondary (32.14%) and university education (16.67%) (p<0.05). The percentage of patients with greater awareness of the link between diabetes and oral health was higher in urban areas (67.12%) (p<0.05). The distribution of daily toothbrushing frequency and the use of fluoride toothpaste showed statistically significant differences between the two groups (p<0.05). The variable HbA1c did not show statistically significant differences according to the level of knowledge.

Conclusions:

The knowledge about oral health of patients with type 2 diabetes is related to frequency of brushing, use of complements in oral hygiene, place of residence and educational level. The study also reflected deficiency in hygiene habits and in the use of healthcare services regarding oral health.

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