Is Obesity a Risk Factor for Periodontal Disease in Adults? A Systematic Review

There is inconclusive evidence about the link between the severity and prevalence of periodontitis in obese adults. Therefore, this systematic review aims to explore the possibility of significant evidence on the association between obesity and periodontitis and to determine the necessity to consider obesity as a risk factor for periodontitis. We followed the PRISMA protocol, and studies that met the eligibility criteria were included in this review. The risk of bias in individual studies was also evaluated. This review included 15 observational studies (9 cross-sectional studies, 2 case-control, and 4 cohort studies). The total study subjects from these studies were 6603 (males = 3432; females = 3171). Most studies showed a significant association between obesity and periodontitis. Among these studies, a few showed obese females to be at a higher risk, and one study found no association between obesity and periodontal disease at all. Based on the evidence obtained from this review, the body mass index (BMI) should be routinely assessed in patients to assess the risk for periodontal disease and to offer personalized management of periodontitis. Based on the findings of this review, we recommend the need to initiate awareness among clinicians and implement dental hygiene care prevention measures for obese patients.