Low glucose levels in T2D patients linked to masticatory inefficiency

A new study published in Public Library of Science suggests that poorly regulated blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetes patients were correlated with an increase in masticatory inefficiency brought on by weakened dental occlusion.

It has been established that mastication may help reduce the chance of developing diabetes, and occlusal support decreased that risk by enhancing glucose metabolism after meals. Uncertainty persists regarding the connection between poor mastication and blood glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Therefore, Yeter Bayram and Mehmet Eskan carried out this prospective study to look at the relationship between blood glucose management in T2D patients and mastication inefficiency brought on by lower occlusal support.

In this study, 94 participants with a mean age of 54.9 years were included. Included were those who had been on T2D drugs for at least a year and had a medical history of T2D. There were two categories of subjects: Eichner group A (4 occlusal functional regions in the posterior area) was a part of the control group (41 patients). Eichner groups B (1-3 occlusal functional regions) and C (no natural occlusal contact) were included in the test group (53 participants). Participants in the control group had blood glucose levels that were significantly lower than those in the test group. Patients who needed a fixed restoration and displayed decreased or absent occlusal support were treated with an implant-supported fixed restoration. The independent student t-test was used to compare the glycated hemoglobin (A1c) concentrations in these groups.

The key findings of this study were:

1. In comparison to the test group (9.42), the control group's blood glucose level was considerably lower (7.48).

2. There were 1.94 0.39 mean differences between the two groups.

3. Body mass index (BMI) and white blood cell counts did not differ across groups in a statistically meaningful way.

4. In T2D patients with decreased occlusal support, blood glucose levels may drop (from A1c 9.1 to 6.2) after a fixed implant-supported repair.

Reference:

Bayram, Y. E., & Eskan, M. A. (2023). Mastication inefficiency due to diminished or lack of occlusal support is associated with increased blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. In G. Isola (Ed.), PLOS ONE (Vol. 18, Issue 4, p. e0284319). Public Library of Science (PLoS). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0284319