Periodontal and Systemic Health - Shaping the Future of our Knowledge

Abstract

Numerous studies have shown the existence of a close relationship between oral and systemic health, and a two-way interaction is likely to exist in some instances; however, as of today, the mechanisms involved in such an interaction are not completely understood. The scientific evidence demonstrating that people suffering from periodontal infections are more susceptible to metabolic endotoxemia, inflammation, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other related systemic complications allows to conclude that periodontal diseases represent a risk factor for a wide array of clinically important systemic diseases. Research on the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) on obesity, type 2 diabetes, and associated metabolic disorders is a relatively new discipline; nevertheless, a growing number of epidemiological studies reveals associations between EDCs body burdens and a variety of diseases. Future research goals might be aimed at exploring the diverse mechanisms that hint to a certain connection between periodontal infections and EDCs.