The association between periodontitis and systemic health: an overview

A putative association between periodontitis and several systemic conditions is reflected in the literature. However, the nature of the relationship is not fully understood and at times may be confusing. It is reported that active periodontitis may contribute towards the development of a high systemic disease burden and that oral heath maintenance, following effective periodontal treatment, will improve the quality of life of the patient and reduce the morbidity of these systemic conditions. Evidence has been presented of direct relationships between periodontal disease and cardiovascular disease, with pre-term low-birth-weight infants and with diabetes mellitus, amongst others. Whether these relationships are causal or not, still needs to be established by further investigation. In the endeavour to make sense of this rapidly advancing area of research, a series of papers is planned for publication during the year 2012. These evidence-based, condensed reviews will hopefully provide clarity on the associations and/or possible causal relationships of periodonttis with specific systemic conditions. The present paper introduces and reviews the concept of the inter-relationships between periodontal and systemic health. The importance of a multidisciplinary approach with co-operation between dental and medical professionals, whether general practitioners or specialists, in the management of patients with these diseases is highlighted.