Diabetes mellitus type 2 ( T2DM ), a growing global health concern, has been increasingly linked to oral health complications, particularly dental caries. To clarify this association, a study examined the influence of T2DM on dental caries severity and salivary characteristics, involving 182 participants. The study found that individuals with T2DM demonstrated a significantly higher burden of dental disease compared with non-diabetic participants. Although salivary pH was slightly lower in the T2DM group (6.65 ± 1.12 vs. 6.88 ± 0.49) and buffer capacity and spinnbarkeit were comparable between groups (7.38 ± 3.2 vs.
7.37 ± 2.83; 4.57 ± 4.34 vs. 3.69 ± 3.6), these differences were not statistically significant. Caries severity was also higher among individuals with T2DM, reflected in elevated international caries detection and assessment system (ICDAS) scores (0.67 ± 0.32 vs. 0.57 ±…
