The periodontal status of 77 diabetic children and adolescents, and 77 paired, systemically-healthy, sex- and age-matched control subjects, was clinical examined. Fasting blood glucose, fructosamine and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1) values were determined. The mean periodontal pocket depths, clinical attachment levels and the parameters to assess diabetes mellitus from the diabetic group were significantly higher than those of the controls. We found a positive correlation between the duration of diabetes and clinical attachment loss, but not with periodontal probing depth, plaque index and gingival index in the diabetic group. A positive correlation was also assessed between the present serum fructosamine and gingival index in the diabetic group, but not in controls.