Does Treatment of Periodontal Disease Influence Systemic Disease?

Abstract

Periodontal diseases are the most common human diseases globally, with gingivitis affecting up to 90% and periodontitis affecting 50% of adults. Tooth enamel is the only nonshedding tissue in the human body. In the absence of proper oral hygiene measures, microbial biofilm (dental plaque) develops on the teeth to include more than 700 different bacterial species, along with viruses, fungi, archea, and parasites. With time, ecological imbalances promote the growth of selected commensal species that induce host inflammatory pathways resulting in tissue destruction, including ulceration of the periodontal epithelium.

Keywords: Arthritis, rheumatoid; Atherosclerosis; Bacteremia; Cardiovascular diseases; Inflammation; Intervention studies; Oral – general health; Pneumonia, aspiration.