Evidence suggests that patients with periodontitis may be at increased risk for certain systemic conditions, including heart disease and diabetes mellitus. Expectant mothers with gum problems may also have increased pre-eclampsia and pre-term low birth weight babies. Several long-term studies demonstrated that individuals with periodontitis had a 25% increased risk of having coronary artery disease at their 15-year follow up examinations (American Academy of Periodontology).
Many systemic diseases can have severe oral manifestations, but in the same way untreated periodontal diseases can increase the incidence of a number of serious systemic diseases. Your health care needs to be directed at the treatment of the whole body so as to maximize treatment outcomes and the patient’s quality of life.
