Relationship Between Glycemic Control and Coated Tongue in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients with Xerostomia

Objective: To examine the relationship between the level of glycemic control and coated tongue in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with xerostomia.  Material and Methods: This study was an analytical survey and involved 64 type 2 diabetes mellitus patients, aged between 17 to 65 years old with 34 males and 30 females. Diagnosis of diabetes mellitus was determined from the patient's medical records. The level of glycemic control was obtained from the patient’s last blood sugar examination. Xerostomia was diagnosed with a questionnaire, while coated tongue diagnosis based on clinical features and the severity of coated tongue was assessed using the Kojima index.  Results: There was a significant relationship between the level of glycemic control and coated tongue (p=0.0026) in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with xerostomia. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between the level of glycemic control and the severity of the coated tongue (p=0.001). Specifically, poor glycemic control was associated with a higher occurrence of the coated tongue as well as more severe tongue coating.  Conclusion: There was a significant relationship between the level of glycemic control in and coated tongue in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with xerostomia. Therefore, diabetes mellitus patients should control their level of glycemic control to prevent the oral complication of the disease.