Educational strategy for the prevention and control of periodontal diseases in adults with diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Introduction: the bidirectional relationship between diabetes mellitus and periodontal disease demands effective strategies in primary care, where educational interventions constitute a key tool to enhance self‑care and the control of both conditions.

Objective: to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention on the level of knowledge about periodontal disease and the efficiency of oral hygiene in adult patients with diabetes mellitus.

Method: a pre‑experimental (pre‑test/post‑test) study was conducted from January 2022 to December 2023. The sample included 320 adult patients with diabetes mellitus and periodontal disease. A knowledge survey and the Love Oral Hygiene Index were applied before and four weeks after a 45‑minute educational session. Absolute and relative frequencies and the McNemar test (p<0.05) were used for analysis.

Results: females (54.3%) and the age group of 60 years or older (38.5%) predominated. After the intervention, the "Good" knowledge level increased from 7.82% to 97.5% (p<0.001), while "Efficient" oral hygiene rose from 14.69% to 97.5% (p<0.001). The strategy showed an overall effectiveness of 97.5% of the sample.

Conclusions: the applied educational intervention proved to be highly effective in increasing knowledge and improving the efficiency of oral hygiene in diabetic patients. Its systematic implementation in Primary Health Care services is recommended.