Impact of Air and Manual Scaling on Dental Anxiety and Blood Glucose Level among Diabetic Patients

AIMS: The current study aimed at describing the short-term effect of nonsurgical periodontal treatment on dental anxiety and blood glucose level change among diabetic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and fifty patients with diabetes participated in a cross-sectional study design. All of them were divided into two groups, with 75 patients in each group. The first group was treated with air scaling, whereas the second group was treated with manual scaling. The determination of treatment needs and the evaluation of periodontal health status were achieved by using Community Periodontal Index for Treatment Need (CPITN). The level of dental anxiety was assessed by using Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The glucose change was calculated by subtracting the glucose level before treatment from the glucose level straight after treatment. RESULTS: No significant difference in glucose level was observed between manual scaling and air scaling after treatment (P = 0.076), and the level of glucose was significantly lower after scaling treatment within the treatment groups (P = 0.000). The level of glucose change between the groups was significantly lower for the manual scaling treatment group (P = 0.013), and it was significantly correlated with VAS (P = 0.000). Multiple regression analysis showed a significant association between the treatment groups (P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: Scaling reduced blood glucose and dental anxiety levels in patients with diabetes. Manual scaling was associated with reduced glucose level change less than air scaling after treatment.