Periodontal Disease: Effects on Overall Human Health

                                                                                                                                Byrt and Gulati 2021; Front. Immunol

Periodontal disease (PD) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gums and supporting tooth structures. Its pathogenesis is strongly associated with subgingival pathogens, particularly Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa), Tannerella forsythia (Tf), Treponema denticola (Td), and Prevotella intermedia (Pi) (Scher et al., 2014; Davison et al., 2021). These bacteria not only drive local tissue destruction but can also enter systemic circulation, promoting systemic inflammation, autoantibody formation, and exacerbating chronic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), cardiovascular disease, and diabetes (Eriksson et al., 2019; Rajkarnikar et al., 2013).

Pg and Aa, in particular, have been implicated in protein citrullination, linking PD to autoimmune responses in RA, while Td, Tf, and Pi contribute to microbial dysbiosis and sustained inflammation (Davison et al., 2021; Eriksson et al., 2019). Periodontal therapy targeting these pathogens, including scaling and root planing, reduces local bacterial load and oral inflammation, which may indirectly modulate systemic disease activity and improve oral health-related quality of life (Monsarrat et al., 2019; Posada-López et al., 2022). Here is a list of Diseases Associated with Periodontal Disease:

References

Scher, J. U., Bretz, W. A., Abramson, S. B. Periodontal disease and subgingival microbiota as contributors for rheumatoid arthritis pathogenesis: Modifiable risk factors? Curr. Opin. Rheumatol. 26, 4 (2014).

Davison, E. et al. The subgingival plaque microbiome, systemic antibodies against bacteria and citrullinated proteins following periodontal therapy. Pathogens 10, 2 (2021).

Eriksson, K. et al. Periodontal health and oral microbiota in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. J. Clin. Med. 8, 5 (2019).

Rajkarnikar, J., Thomas, B. S., Rao, S. K. Inter-relationship between rheumatoid arthritis and periodontitis. Kathmandu Univ. Med. J. 11, 41 (2013).

Monsarrat, P. et al. The effect of periodontal treatment on patients with rheumatoid arthritis: The ESPERA randomised controlled trial. Joint Bone Spine 86 (2019).

Posada-López, A. et al. The effect of periodontal treatment on clinical and biological indicators, quality of life, and oral health in rheumatoid arthritis patients. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 19, 3 (2022).