Relationship between cardiovascular disease and dental pathology. Systematic review

Area of Science:

• Oral health
• Cardiovascular disease
• Periodontology

Background:

• The link between localized dental infections like caries and chronic apical periodontitis (CAP) and atherothrombotic cardiovascular disease (ATCD) is not well-defined.
• Existing research on this association is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the existing literature on the relationship between dental infections and ATCD.
• To clarify the association between CAP and ATCD.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted.
• Databases searched included PubMed and Medline.
• The search covered the period from 1989 to 2016.

Main Results:

• A significant association was found between ATCD and oral hygiene (10/10 studies).
• ATCD was linked to tooth loss (14/17 studies) and CAP (11/15 studies).
• A notable methodological heterogeneity existed across the included studies.

Conclusions:

• There is a confirmed association between chronic apical periodontitis (CAP) and atherothrombotic cardiovascular disease (ATCD).
• Patients diagnosed with ATCD tend to have poorer oral hygiene and fewer teeth.
• Further research may be needed to address methodological heterogeneity.