[The effect of oral hygiene on the periodontal status in diabetes mellitus].

Using the Oral Hygiene Index (OHI) of Greene and Vermillion (1960), the author determined in 209 diabetics the degree of oral dirtiness and studied its effect on the periodontal conditions. He found that the OHI was significantly lower (1.17) in diabetics with healthy gingivae than in diabetics with periodontal diseases (1.60). In diabetics with parodontopathia mixta or parodontopathia inflammata profunda the OHI (1.67 and 1.86, respecitvely) was significantly worse than that in diabetics with clinically healthy gingivae or parodontopathia inflammata superficialis. Oral hygiene also correlated significantly (correlation coefficient r=0.206) with age at P less than 1%. The mean OHI for diabetics (1.55) was almost identical witoes not support the view that diabetes itself favours plaque formation.