Crystal Marruganti explains why periodontal care is essential to supporting a patient’s whole-body health.
For years, periodontitis has been considered an isolated oral infection that was limited to the mouth. We now know it is far more complex. Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory condition triggered by a dysbiosis within the oral microbiome in a susceptible individual. The inflammatory mediators released in the gums – cytokines, prostaglandins and C-reactive proteins – circulate through the bloodstream, influencing distant organs and metabolic pathways. This suggests their potential role in systemic inflammatory and infectious processes.
It also explains the close association between periodontal diseases and other conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome. The relationship is bidirectional: uncontrolled systemic inflammation worsens periodontal breakdown, while untreated periodontitis can significantly increase the systemic inflammatory load.
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