Consensus Reports Confirm Periodontal/Systemic Link

Consensus Reports Confirm Periodontal/Systemic Link

Researchers have been examining the periodontal/systemic connection for some time, with numerous studies linking periodontal diseases to increased risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Now the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP) has published a series of consensus reports that it asserts confirms widespread, scientific-based analyses of this association. The academy has also issued clinical recommendations for dental professionals to use when treating patients with periodontitis.

The AAP reports and clinical recommendations, published jointly in April in the Journal of Periodontology and Journal of Clinical Periodontology, were developed in collaboration with the European Federation of Periodontology (EFP) during a workshop held in Spain. The collaborative efforts included 70 international experts, who synthesized the current data and literature to produce the consensus reports.

AAP President Nancy L. Newhouse, DDS, MS, tells Dimensions of Dental Hygiene that the takeaway for dental hygienists is clear. Considering that they often spend the most one-on-one time with patients, dental hygienists are encouraged to use this time to educate them about the potential association between periodontal diseases and systemic diseases. “For patients with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or even those who may be pregnant,” Newhouse says, “the recommendations provide some concrete questions for clinicians to ask in the course of providing care.”

The AAP/EFP workshop was made possible through an educational grant from Colgate-Palmolive. Both groups recommend that additional research is needed to improve our understanding of the relationship between periodontal diseases and systemic health.