Abstract

NICOLAU, José; NOGUEIRA, Fernando Neves  and  SIMOES, Alyne. Diabetes: general characteristics for dentists. Rev. Assoc. Paul. Cir. Dent. [online]. 2015, vol.69, n.3, pp. 260-265. ISSN 0004-5276.

Diabetes mellitus consists of a group of metabolic diseases characterized by hyperglycemia, resulting from disorders in insulin secretion, insulin action or both. A higher incidence of oral diseases, related to poorly controlled diabetes, can be observed in diabetic patients, such as xerostomia, hyposalivation, higher risk of infection, carious lesions, taste alterations, in addition to inadequate preparation of food for digestion. Thus, the aim of this study was to get some important information about this disease, for dentistis, as well as some therapeutic options for oral complications, suh as lasertherapy and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy.

Keywords : diabetes mellitus; salivary glands; laser therapy.