Clinical periodontal variables in patients with and without dementia - a systematic review and meta-analysis.
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BORIS DOI
Date of Publication
September 2018
Publication Type
Article
Division/Institute
Author
Subject(s)
Series
Clinical oral investigations
ISSN or ISBN (if monograph)
1432-6981
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Language
English
Publisher DOI
PubMed ID
29934798
Uncontrolled Keywords
Description
BACKGROUND
Considering the increasing number of elderly people, dementia has gained an important role in today's society. Although the contributing factors for dementia have not been fully understood, chronic periodontitis (CP) seems to have a possible link to dementia.
AIM
To conduct a systematic review including meta-analysis in order to assess potential differences in clinical periodontal variables between patients with dementia and non-demented individuals.
METHODS
The following focused question was evaluated: is periodontitis associated with dementia? Electronic searches in two databases, MEDLINE and EMBASE, were conducted. Meta-analysis was performed with the collected data in order to find a statistically significant difference in clinical periodontal variables between the group of dementia and the cognitive normal controls.
RESULTS
Forty-two articles remained for full text reading. Finally, seven articles met the inclusion criteria and only five studies provided data suitable for meta-analysis. Periodontal probing depth (PPD), bleeding on probing (BOP), gingival bleeding index (GBI), clinical attachment level (CAL), and plaque index (PI) were included as periodontal variables in the meta-analysis. Each variable revealed a statistically significant difference between the groups. In an attempt to reveal an overall difference between the periodontal variables in dementia patients and non-demented individuals, the chosen variables were transformed into units that resulted in a statistically significant overall difference (p < 0.00001).
CONCLUSION
The current findings indicate that compared to systemically healthy individuals, demented patients show significantly worse clinical periodontal variables. However, further epidemiological studies including a high numbers of participants, the use of exact definitions both for dementia and chronic periodontitis and adjusted for cofounders is warranted.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
These findings appear to support the putative link between CP and dementia. Consequently, the need for periodontal screening and treatment of elderly demented people should be emphasized.
Considering the increasing number of elderly people, dementia has gained an important role in today's society. Although the contributing factors for dementia have not been fully understood, chronic periodontitis (CP) seems to have a possible link to dementia.
AIM
To conduct a systematic review including meta-analysis in order to assess potential differences in clinical periodontal variables between patients with dementia and non-demented individuals.
METHODS
The following focused question was evaluated: is periodontitis associated with dementia? Electronic searches in two databases, MEDLINE and EMBASE, were conducted. Meta-analysis was performed with the collected data in order to find a statistically significant difference in clinical periodontal variables between the group of dementia and the cognitive normal controls.
RESULTS
Forty-two articles remained for full text reading. Finally, seven articles met the inclusion criteria and only five studies provided data suitable for meta-analysis. Periodontal probing depth (PPD), bleeding on probing (BOP), gingival bleeding index (GBI), clinical attachment level (CAL), and plaque index (PI) were included as periodontal variables in the meta-analysis. Each variable revealed a statistically significant difference between the groups. In an attempt to reveal an overall difference between the periodontal variables in dementia patients and non-demented individuals, the chosen variables were transformed into units that resulted in a statistically significant overall difference (p < 0.00001).
CONCLUSION
The current findings indicate that compared to systemically healthy individuals, demented patients show significantly worse clinical periodontal variables. However, further epidemiological studies including a high numbers of participants, the use of exact definitions both for dementia and chronic periodontitis and adjusted for cofounders is warranted.
CLINICAL RELEVANCE
These findings appear to support the putative link between CP and dementia. Consequently, the need for periodontal screening and treatment of elderly demented people should be emphasized.