Relationship between cardiovascular disease and dental pathology. Systematic review.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The relationship between atherothrombotic cardiovascular disease (ATCD) and localised infections in teeth, including caries and chronic apical periodontitis (CAP) has not been studied much and is not well defined.

METHOD: A systematic search was performed using the scientific databases PubMed and Medline from 1989 to 2016.

RESULTS: A significant relationship was observed with ATCD in 10 out of 10 studies addressing the degree of oral hygiene, in 14 of 17 that included loss of teeth, in 6 of 12 that analysed caries and in 11 of 15 that included CAP. However, there was a huge methodological heterogeneity.

CONCLUSIONS: It can be concluded that there is an association between CAP and ATCD. Patients with ATCD present a worse oral hygiene status and fewer teeth.