THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERIODONTAL DISEASES AND SYSTEMIC HEALTH CONDITIONS

Periodontal diseases are chronic inflammatory conditions that affect the gingiva,periodontal ligament, cementum, and alveolar bone and may contribute to the total inflammatoryburden of the body.Background: Epidemiological and mechanistic research has linked periodontitis with diabetes,atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, adverse pregnancy outcomes,rheumatoid arthritis, chronic kidney disease, and other systemic conditions. Shared risk factors andresidual confounding make causal interpretation difficult.Objective: To critically analyse the biological pathways, strength of association, interventionevidence, and practical implications of the relationship between periodontal and systemic diseases.Materials and methods: Narrative synthesis of systematic reviews, consensus reports, cohortstudies, randomised trials, and international guidance published from 2012 to 2026. Evidence wasclassified as association, mechanistic plausibility, or improvement in systemic outcomes afterperiodontal intervention.
Results: The most consistent bidirectional relationship is between periodontitis and diabetes. Nonsurgicalperiodontal therapy may produce a modest short-term improvement in HbA1c, but it doesnot replace medical treatment. Associations with cardiovascular, respiratory, pregnancy-related, andimmune-inflammatory outcomes are clinically relevant but do not prove that periodontal treatmentprevents major systemic events. Conclusion: Dental and primary-care professionals should useshared risk assessment, screening, referral, and supportive periodontal care while avoidingexaggerated causal claims.