The impact of oral disease upon systemic health-Symposium overview.

摘要

Oral diseases are amongst the most common to affect mankind. One example, inflammatory periodontitis, in its most severe form affects 8% of UK adults, with more than 85% of the population exhibiting some periodontal destruction by 65 years-of-age. Periodontal therapies cost the Health Service £0.2 billion in 2002 (Dental Practice Board) and constituted 50% of all courses of treatment. These costs continue to rise within the NHS and exclude those within the private healthcare sector. Indeed, the holistic cost of periodontitis to the UK economy has been estimated as 2.78 billion (ATP Consulting Ltd., 2008). In addition to the substantial negative impact of periodontitis on oral health, there is also mounting evidence that periodontitis has systemic consequences and that it is a risk factor for peripheral macrovascular disease and diabetes. Epidemiologic studies largely support an association between periodontitis and atherosclerotic vascular disease (AVD), independently of smoking status, and it has been shown that there is a bi-directional relationship between periodontal inflammation and diabetic control. This symposium focuses on the evidence-base for interactions between periodontitis and AVD and type 2 diabetes and illustrates potential mechanisms underpinning these relationships.