The dental caries and periodontal disease experience of patients with early onset insulin dependent diabetes.

Diabetes mellitus is common in the Maltese. Patients in whom diabetes was first diagnosed before the age of 25 years were examined to determine their oral status and to compare their levels of disease with oral disease in non-diabetic age-matched control subjects. No patient was older than 29 years. Compared with control subjects, the diabetic patients showed differences in both caries and periodontal disease experience. Those with poor metabolic control of their diabetes showed oral disease patterns different to the stable diabetics.