Periodontal disease and its effect on systemic disease

Periodontitis, otherwise known as gum disease, effects a wide range of diseases through its pathogenesis. Periodontitis impacts many people worldwide and studies have been done showing a positive association between the severity of periodontitis and comorbidities with systemic diseases. More studies are needed on its mechanism of action, but a key model implicated includes how periodontitis influences various systemic markers leading to systemic inflammation. These inflammatory processes then lead to chronic inflammation and exacerbation of systemic disease. It is hypothesized that treatments that target periodontitis and its symptoms can reduce systemic inflammation and lead to reductions of the comorbidities associated with periodontitis. This hypothesis is supported by studies that have demonstrated that therapies can lead to the reduction of systemic markers of inflammation as well as the reduction of systemic disease comorbidities, but more research is needed to determine a clear correlation as well as the discovery of new more effective therapies to reduce periodontitis and systemic inflammation.