Association between periodontal disease and dementia: A literature review.

INTRODUCTION: Periodontal disease and dementia are very prevalent, especially in elderly populations. Multiple studies have shown a link between these diseases; however, the conditions are highly heterogeneous and so is the diagnostic methodology, which may hinder interpretation and comparison of the results. The aim of this article is to provide a critical review of the literature linking these 2 processes.

DEVELOPMENT: We retrieved 22 studies, most of which were retrospective, and analysed various methodological variables including study population, diagnosis of periodontitis, definition of dementia, adjusted variables, and results. The different aetiopathogenic mechanisms that may affect the progression and interaction of these 2 conditions were also analysed.

CONCLUSIONS: Although available evidence indicates a positive association between periodontitis and dementia, both the strength of that association and the presence of a causal relationship have yet to be determined.