[Correlation between psychosocial factors and periodontal disease--a systematic review of the literature]

Abstract

Objectives: This is a systematic review of the available empirical studies up to 2004 which deal with the question of the correlation between psychosocial factors/stress and gingival and periodontal disease.

Method: The three medical and psychological databases Medline, PsycInfo und Psyndex were searched systematically for relevant literature between 1946 and 2004.

Results: 34 empirical studies on humans (16 with and 18 without a control group) and ten empirical studies on animals are presented.

Discussion: Despite serious methodological flaws in many studies, most (particularly the methodologically solid ones) indicated associations between a variety of psychosocial factors and periodontitis incidence and severity. The pathomechanisms between stress and periodontitis should therefore be the subject of further research.