Possible complications in oral surgery and their management in patients affected by type 1 diabetes: narrative review

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is a disease that affects millions of people worldwide, both in its juvenile form (type 1 diabetes) and in the form that affects adults and is related to lifestyle, diet, and sedentariness (type 2 diabetes). In addition to the disease itself, diabetes also includes various complications and, above all, creates a supportive environment for the development of further disorders and pathologies. Certain alterations favor oral pathologies in diabetic patients.

This narrative review aims to focus on diabetic patients and the possible oral complications that can occur in oral surgery sessions.

The MEDLINE database (NCBI PubMed and PMC) was employed to obtain sources of information. An online search was performed to select articles regarding complications in oral surgery for diabetic patients.

The search considered 52 articles using the following keywords: “diabetic patient,” “complications,” and “oral surgery.”

Although it is not possible to establish with certainty what the predisposing factors are, the scientific literature shows that the altered composition of saliva, together with the reduced immune response against bacteria, determines a lower antibacterial capacity in diabetic patients and, thus a higher frequency of inflammatory diseases caused by the accumulation of plaque and tartar; in particular, gingivitis, periodontitis, caries, aphthae or aphthous stomatitis, map tongue (benign migratory glossitis), xerostomia, tongue inflammation, and candidiasis.

In conclusion, the dentist must always take due account of all the needs of diabetic patients, trying to operate above all at the level of prevention and being aware of all the possible complications that diabetic patients could face during an oral surgery session.