Diabetes and Oral Health Facts

At a glance

Review facts about oral health and diabetes in the United States.

A woman eating a red apple.

Fast facts

  • Adults aged 20 or older with diabetes are 40% more likely to have untreated cavities than similar adults without diabetes.1
  • There is an association between having diabetes and periodontal (gum) disease, a leading cause of tooth loss.234
  • About 60% of US adults with diabetes had a medical visit in the past year, but no dental visit.1
  • Expanding health care coverage for periodontal treatment among people with diabetes could save each person about $6,000 (2019 US dollars) over their lives.5
  • Adults aged 50 or older with diabetes (1) lack functional dentition (have fewer than 20 teeth) 46% more often and (2) have severe tooth loss (8 or fewer teeth) 56% more often than adults without diabetes.6
  • Adults aged 50 or older with diabetes are more likely to report that they have a hard time eating because of dental problems.7
  • Annual dental costs for an adult with diabetes are $77 (2017 US dollars) higher than for an adult without diabetes. These costs translate to $1.9 billion for the nation.8
  • Treating gum disease significantly improves blood sugar level (glycemic control) among people with diabetes compared to no treatment or routine care.9
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Content Source:
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; CDC Division of Oral Health
  1. Wei L, Griffin SO, Parker M, Thornton-Evans G. Dental health status, use, and insurance coverage among adults with chronic conditions: implications for medical-dental integration in the United States. J Am Dent Assoc. 2022;153(6):563–571. doi: 10.1016/j.adaj.2021.12.012
  2. Chávarry NG, Vettore MV, Sansone C, Sheiham A. The relationship between diabetes mellitus and destructive periodontal disease: a meta-analysis. Oral Health Prev Dent. 2009;7(2):107–127.
  3. Sanz M, Ceriello A, Buysschaert M, et al. Scientific evidence on the links between periodontal diseases and diabetes: consensus report and guidelines of the joint workshop on periodontal diseases and diabetes by the International Diabetes Federation and the European Federation of Periodontology. J Clin Periodontol. 2018;45(2):138–149. doi:10.1111/jcpe.12808
  4. Kassebaum NJ, Bernabé E, Dahiya M, Bhandari B, Murray CJ, Marcenes W. Global burden of severe tooth loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Dent Res. 2014;93(suppl 7):20S–28S. doi:10.1177/0022034514537828
  5. Choi SE, Sima C, Pandya A. Impact of treating oral disease on preventing vascular diseases: a model-based cost-effectiveness analysis of periodontal treatment among patients with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 2020;43(3):563–571. doi:10.2337/dc19-1201
  6. Parker ML, Thornton-Evans G, Wei L, Griffin SO. Prevalence of and changes in tooth loss among adults aged ≥50 years with selected chronic conditions — United States, 1999–2004 and 2011–2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69(21):641–646.
  7. Griffin SO, Jones JA, Brunson D, Griffin PM, Bailey WD. Burden of oral disease among older adults and implications for public health priorities. Am J Public Health. 2012;102(3):411–418. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2011.300362
  8. Chen Y, Zhang P, Luman ET, Griffin SO, Rolka DB. Incremental dental expenditures associated with diabetes among non-institutionalized US adults aged ≥18 years old in 2016-2017. Diabetes Care. 2021;44(6):1317–1323. doi: 10.2337/dc20-2744
  9. Simpson TC, Clarkson JE, Worthington HV, et al. Treatment of periodontitis for glycaemic control in people with diabetes mellitus. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022;4(4):CD004714. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004714.pub4