Prevalence of Dental Caries and Its Associated Factors Among Diabetic Patients at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital

Introduction: Dental caries continues to affect oral health quality of life among diabetic patients. However, there is limited data on the prevalence and factors associated with dental caries among diabetic patients in Uganda. Therefore, this study assessed the prevalence and factors associated with dental caries among diabetic patients attending a diabetic clinic at a regional referral hospital in Uganda. Method: A clinical cross-sectional study was conducted among 336 diabetic patients attending a diabetic clinic at Mbarara regional referral hospital from October to December 2023. A consecutive sampling technique was employed to enroll study participants. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire, and analysis was performed using STATA version 17. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regressions were employed and variables with a p-value < 0.05 were declared statistically significant. The prevalence of dental caries was determined based DMFT index score and presented as a percentage. Results: The prevalence of dental caries was 72.9% (95%CI: 67.9, 77.4). Findings indicated that age >57years (AOR 2.131, 95% CI 1.192-3.809 P-Value 0.011), smoking (AOR 2.884, 95%CI 1.032-8.061, p0.043) and type 2 diabetes (AOR 0. 513, 95% CI 0.272-0.966, p0.039) and visiting a dental clinic once a year (AOR 3.198, 95%CI 1.709-5.982, p<0.001) were associated with increased odds of developing dental caries. Brushing twice a day (OR 0.394, 95%CI 0.158-0.981, p 0.045) was associated with reduced odds of developing dental caries. Conclusion. The prevalence of dental caries among diabetic patients is relatively high; this contributes significantly to their reduced oral health quality of life. Therefore, oral health promotion, preventive and curative services should be integrated in diabetic care to improve oral health and diabetic quality of life.