Knowledge and perception of bidirectional relationship between periodontal disease and type 1 diabetes mellitus: A questionnaire study

Aim: The bidirectional relationship between type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and inflammatory periodontal disease (PD) is globally recognized. However, oral health components are often given lower priority, and studies related to knowledge and the bidirectional association are limited. This study assesses the knowledge and perceptions of PD and its associated risk factors among T1DM patients and/or their parents. Materials and Methods: Patients under 18 with T1DM at Universiti Teknologi MARA and Universiti Malaya were invited to participate. Structured interviews were conducted to assess participants' knowledge and perceptions of T1DM, and statistical analysis was performed to examine their associations using Pearson's chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test. Results: A total of 113 T1DM patients, with a mean age of 11.4 +/- 4, completed the interviews. Poor knowledge was observed among parents and T1DM patients (P-value = 0.007) and those who exercised regularly (P-value = 0.047). A significant association with good perception was found among individuals with uncontrolled HbA1c levels (P-value = 0.0018) and those experiencing bleeding symptoms (P-value = 0.021). Conclusions: The study highlights the importance of increasing awareness, a key factor in improving oral health knowledge. Interestingly, despite poor control of clinical parameters, the population displayed good perception, suggesting a potential lack of understanding regarding disease control.