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. 2024 Dec;30(1):2320120.
doi: 10.1080/13814788.2024.2320120. Epub 2024 Mar 21.

Periodontal diseases and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and respiratory diseases: Summary of the consensus report by the European Federation of Periodontology and WONCA Europe

David Herrera  1 , Mariano Sanz  1 , Lior Shapira  2 , Carlos Brotons  3 , Iain Chapple  4   5 , Thomas Frese  6 , Filippo Graziani  7 , F D Richard Hobbs  8 , Olivier Huck  9 , Eva Hummers  10 , Søren Jepsen  11 , Oleg Kravtchenko  12 , Phoebus Madianos  13 , Ana Molina  1 , Mehmet Ungan  14 , Josep Vilaseca  15   16 , Adam Windak  17 , Shlomo Vinker  18
Affiliations

Periodontal diseases and cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and respiratory diseases: Summary of the consensus report by the European Federation of Periodontology and WONCA Europe

David Herrera et al. Eur J Gen Pract. 2024 Dec.

Abstract

Background: Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory non-communicable disease (NCD) characterised by the destruction of the tooth-supporting apparatus (periodontium), including alveolar bone, the presence of periodontal pockets, and bleeding on probing.

Objectives: To outline, for family doctors, the implications of the association between periodontal and systemic diseases; to explore the role of family doctors in managing periodontitis as an ubiquitous non-communicable disease (NCD).

Methods: The consensus reports of previous focused collaborative workshops between WONCA Europe and the European Federation of Periodontology (using previously undertaken systematic reviews), and a specifically commissioned systematic review formed the technical papers to underpin discussions. Working groups prepared proposals independently, and the proposals were subsequently discussed and approved at plenary meetings.

Results: Periodontitis is independently associated with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obstructive sleep apnoea, and COVID-19 complications. Treatment of periodontitis has been associated with improvements in systemic health outcomes. The article also presents evidence gaps. Oral health care professionals (OHPs) and family doctors should collaborate in managing these conditions, including implementing strategies for early case detection of periodontitis in primary medical care centres and of systemic NCDs in oral/dental care settings. There is a need to raise awareness of periodontal diseases, their consequences, and the associated risk factors amongst family doctors.

Conclusion: Closer collaboration between OHPs and family doctors is important in the early case detection and management of NCDs like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, and respiratory diseases. Strategies for early case detection/prevention of NCDs, including periodontitis, should be developed for family doctors, other health professionals (OHPs), and healthcare funders. Evidence-based information on the reported associations between periodontitis and other NCDs should be made available to family doctors, OHPs, healthcare funders, patients, and the general population.

Keywords: Periodontitis; cardiovascular diseases; diabetes; family doctors; respiratory diseases.

Plain language summary

Periodontitis is independently associated with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obstructive sleep apnoea, and COVID-19.Periodontal treatment for optimal outcomes improves diabetes outcomes and surrogate measures of cardiovascular risk.Closer collaboration between oral health care professionals and family doctors is important in the early case detection and management of non-communicable diseases.Information on the reported associations should be made available to family doctors, oral health professionals, healthcare funders, patients, and the general population.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

References

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