Table 3.

Summary of issues identified by authors of systematic reviews of RCTs

Inconsistency with defining periodontal disease status (i.e., severity) of study participants. Inclusion of both type 1 & type 2 diabetes patients in pooled results. No distinction made between “controlled and uncontrolled diabetics.” Robustness affected by high heterogeneity of studies. Majority of studies had high risk of bias. Combination of treatment regimens and failure to separate results. Different population groups where risk factors could play a role. Quality of studies (methodological shortcomings) and reporting. Discrepancies in baseline HbA1c make comparisons difficult. Small study sizes. Results not generalizable. Combining small and large sample data may skew the overall results. More consistent use of CONSORT in the RCTs would improve the quality of the studies. Other factors affecting glycemic control not controlled for in studies (i.e., diet, BMI, medications, smoking, etc.)