The Association of Periodontitis with Circadian Rhythm Disorders and Sleep-A Scoping Review

Background and Objectives: This scoping review aims to assess the correlation between periodontitis, circadian rhythm disorders, and sleep quality. Materials and Methods: This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines to identify eligible studies from the following databases: PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The research question was formulated as follows: "What is the evidence about the correlation between periodontitis, circadian rhythm disorders and sleep?". Results: Through database searching, 1673 records were identified, and ultimately, 20 studies were included. Among these, seven articles were about the correlation between circadian rhythm and periodontitis; thirteen articles discussed the association between sleep and periodontitis. Conclusions: Circadian rhythm alterations and poor sleep are related to periodontitis. A causal relationship between circadian rhythm disturbances, poor sleep, and periodontitis remains unclear, especially because of the cross-sectional design of most studies. No study has conducted an analysis of the reverse causality. To clarify this correlation, longitudinal studies should be conducted. A few experiments suggested that circadian rhythm disturbances and sleep deprivation induce periodontitis. Assessing direct causality and understanding the precise role of circadian rhythm alterations and sleep quality on periodontitis can lead to personalizing the management of the condition.