Background: The association among periodontal conditions, socioeconomic status (SES), and diabetes has been reported. However, there is a lack of published data comparing periodontal conditions among individuals with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D). The aim of the present study was to compare the periodontal conditions and SES between subjects with T2D and non‐diabetic controls.Methods: A total of 75 (31 males and 44 females) individuals with T2D (62 poorly controlled and 13 well‐controlled) and 99 non‐diabetic patients (healthy controls; 51 males and 48 females) participated in the study. Plaque index (PI), bleeding on probing (BOP), and probing depth (PD) were investigated. Random blood glucose level was recorded. Premolar and molar marginal bone loss (MBL) was measured digitally on scanned orthopantomograms.Results: Individuals with poorly controlled T2D had increased MBL in molars and maxillary premolars (P <0.05) compared to individuals with well‐controlled T2D. PI, BOP, and PD of 4 to <6 mm were increased in individuals with poorly controlled T2D compared to those with well‐controlled T2D (P <0.001). There was no difference between the diabetic groups when PD was ≥6 mm. Individuals with poorly controlled T2D had a lower SES compared to patients with well‐controlled T2D (P <0.05). Illiteracy and the number of missing teeth were not different between the groups.Conclusions: Radiologic and clinical indicators of periodontal destruction were increased in individuals with poorly controlled T2D. Low SES aggravated the periodontal condition in individuals with T2D.

Analysis of inflammatory biomarkers in saliva could offer an attractive opportunity for the diagnosis of different systemic conditions specifically in epidemiological surveys. The aim of this study was to investigate if certain salivary biomarkers could be used for detection of common systemic diseases. A randomly selected sample of 1000 adults living in Skåne, a county in the southern part of Sweden, was invited to participate in a clinical study of oral health. 451 individuals were enrolled in this investigation, 51% women. All participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire, history was taken, a clinical examination was made and stimulated saliva samples were collected. Salivary concentrations of IL-1β, -6, -8, TNF-α, lysozyme, MMP-8 and TIMP-1 were determined using ELISA, IFMA or Luminex assays. Salivary IL-8 concentration was found to be twice as high in subjects who had experience of tumour diseases. In addition, IL-8 levels were also elevated in patients with bowel disease. MMP-8 levels were elevated in saliva from patients after cardiac surgery or suffering from diabetes, and muscle and joint diseases. The levels of IL-1β, IL-8 and MMP-8, as well as the MMP-8/TIMP-1 ratio were higher in subjects with muscle and joint diseases. Biomarkers in saliva have the potential to be used for screening purposes in epidemiological studies. The relatively unspecific inflammatory markers used in this study can not be used for diagnosis of specific diseases but can be seen as markers for increased systemic inflammation.