Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) is a non-invasive technique used for various reasons in medicine and dentistry. There are many reports of vascular and microcirculatory changes in patients with diabetes mellitus. The aim of the study was to assess the gingival blood flow (GBF) measurements in patients with chronic periodontitis (Group 1), patients with chronic periodontitis and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (Group 2) and healthy controls (Group 3). METHODS: Forty-eight individuals were included in the study and divided into three groups. Gingival blood flow measurements were taken from 16 points in the upper vestibular aspect of six anterior teeth using LDF probe. In addition, plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing depth (PD) and attachment loss (AL) were registered to determine the periodontal status. RESULTS: Results showed a significant correlation (p < 0.05) in clinical indices and GBF among the groups. Moreover, in Group 1, there was a correlation between GI and AL and between PD and AL. In Group 2, a correlation was observed between PI and AL and between GI and GBF. CONCLUSION: The results revealed an increase in GBF value in the chronic periodontitis group with Type 2 diabetes mellitus compared with the group with chronic periodontitis only. Diabetes can also affect GBF due to the nature of the disease, which affects the microcirculatory status.