NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS AND ALVEOLAR BONE LOSS PROGRESSION OVER 2 YEARS

THIS STUDY TESTED THE HYPOTHESIS that persons with non-insulin depende nt diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) have greater risk of more severe alveolar bone loss progression over a 2-year period than those without NIDDM. Data from the longitudinal study of the oral health of residents of th e Gila River Indian Community were analyzed for 362 subjects, aged 15 to 57, 338 of whom had less than 25% radiographic bone loss at baselin e, and who did not develop NIDDM nor lose any teeth during the 2-year study period. The other 24 subjects had NIDDM at baseline, but met the other selection criteria. Bone scores (scale 0-4) from panoramic radi ographs corresponded to bone loss of 0%, 1%-24%, 25%-49%, 50%-74%, or 75% and greater. Change in bone score category was computed as the cha nge in worst bone score (WBS) reading after 2 years. Age, calculus, NI DDM status, time to follow-up examination, and baseline WBS were expla natory variables in regression models for ordinal categorical response variables. NIDDM was positively associated with the probability of a change in bone score when the covariates were controlled. The cumulati ve odds ratio for NIDDM at each threshold of the ordered response was 4.23 (95% C.I. = 1.80, 9.92). In addition to being associated with the incidence of alveolar bone loss (as demonstrated in previous studies) , these results suggest an NIDDM-associated increased rate of alveolar bone loss progression.