The comparison of the thickness of the cementum layer in Type 2 diabetic and non-diabetic patients.

It has been suggested diabetes plays an important role in tooth loss. Studies examining the periodontal structures and the alveolar bone architecture in diabetics have revealed some alterations. However, mechanisms responsible for these alterations have not been elucidated completely. Established relationships between the cementum layer, which is resistant to resorption, and diabetes are few in number. The aim of this study was to compare the thickness of the cementum layer in Type 2 diabetic and non-diabetic subjects in order to improve the understanding of dental mobility in Type 2 diabetes and its effect on tooth loss. A total of 46 male patients with a mean age of 61.72 +/- 5.45 yr. were included in this study (Type 2 diabetics, n=23; non-diabetics, n=23); undecayed. Single rooted premolar teeth extracted from 46 male patients were used to assess the alterations in the cementum layer in Type 2 diabetics. Histological preparations from extracted teeth were examined under light microscopy. In each tooth, the thickness of the cementum layer was measured by an oculometer in 4 different sites on the specimen with the largest pulp space including the pulp chamber and root canals. Statistical analyses were performed with student's t test. The average thickness of the cementum layer in the decalcified teeth extracted from non-diabetic patients was compared to the average thickness of the cementum layer in Type 2 diabetic patients. A significant difference was observed in every site of measurement between Type 2 diabetic and non-diabetic patients with regard to the thickness of the cementum layer (p < 0.05). The cementum layer was thicker at the apical part of the root and at the midpoint of the apical half, and thinner at the central part of the root and at the midpoint of the coronal half in Type 2 diabetic patients.