Asociación entre enfermedades periodontales y enfermedades sistemáticas ¿existe la Medicina Periodontal?

Resumo

Some authors have proposed the rise of a new discipline, periodontal medicine, based on the association of periodontitis with other systemic pathologies. Several studies published during the last years have evaluated that association, leading to important implications in relation with diagnosis and treatment of periodontal infections. The evaluation of the published studies has established the link of periodontitis with diabetes, respiratory infections, pre-term low-weight births, and cardiovascular diseases. Regarding diabetes, whichis also a known risk factor for periodontitis, periodontal infection favours metabolic decompensation, condition which is reverted with the treatment. Respiratory infections showed a weaker association, but the oro-pharingeal region can act as a source of pathogenic bacteria in predisposed individuals. Pre-term low-weight births presented a strong association with periodontitis, but the consistency is weak, due to the low number of available studies. The link with cardiovascular disease showed weak to moderate associations, but the consistency was stronger. The available scientific evidence may justify the rise of the new discipline named as periodontal medicine, but new studies are needed.