Impact of dental prostheses on glycemic, nutritional, and oral health outcomes in patients with diabetes: A scoping review.

Abstract

Purpose: To map and synthesize the existing evidence on the association between dental prosthesis use and glycemic control, nutritional status, and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in diabetes.

Study selection: This scoping review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews and the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology. Systematic searches of PubMed and Google Scholar were conducted up to November 10, 2024. The eligible studies included observational and interventional studies of patients with diabetes who used dental prostheses (removable, fixed, or implant-supported). Evidence was synthesized across three predefined research questions, and exploratory meta-analyses were performed when feasible.

Results: Six studies addressed the association between dental prosthesis use and glycemic control. Five reported findings suggesting favorable associations, and exploratory quantitative synthesis showed a pooled mean difference in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) of -0.65% (95% confidence interval (CI): -0.89 to -0.40), suggesting a possible association with lower HbA1c levels. Only one study assessed body mass index (BMI), reporting a non-significant mean difference of 0.58 kg/m² (95% CI: -0.29 to 1.45). Five studies investigated the relationship between dental prosthesis use and OHRQoL in diabetes. Evidence on OHRQoL was inconsistent, with some subgroups showing relatively favorable scores, whereas the pooled results remain inconclusive owing to high heterogeneity.

Conclusions: This scoping review provides preliminary, hypothesis-generating evidence that dental prostheses may be associated with lower HbA1c levels in diabetes, while effects on BMI and OHRQoL remain unclear, highlighting the potential role of prosthodontic interventions in holistic diabetes care.