Impact of Periodontal Disease on General Health: Clinical Considerations

Robert Genco DDS, PhD

Management of periodontal disease is important for preservation of the dentition, and also plays a role in general health.

The webinar “Periodontal Disease and General Health” will cover the following four major topics.

I.   Current understanding of the etiopathogenesis of periodontal disease.  New findings in epidemiology showing that one-half of American adults suffer from periodontal disease.  Also the microbiota of periodontal disease contains at least a dozen newly described organisms, prominent in the subgingival flora.

II.  Periodontal risk factors and the concept of risk factor management as part of the treatment and prevention of periodontal disease will be discussed.

III. Periodontal disease effects:

• Poor glycemic control and complications in patients with diabetes.
• Arteriosclerotic diseases
• Respiratory diseases
• Adverse pregnancy outcomes
• Cancer

New studies of the microbiome in these diseases as a possible link to periodontal disease will be discussed.

IV. Interprofessional management of patients with periodontal disease associated systemic disease, including the role of the dental team and medical team will be presented.  Common risk factor management, as well as the role of insurance companies will be discussed.