Perio Insight focuses on links between periodontitis and Alzheimer’s disease

The relationship between periodontitis and Alzheimer’s Disease is the main subject of the latest edition of Perio Insight, the EFP magazine devoted to periodontal science and clinical practice.

Although periodontitis and Alzheimer’s disease cause totally different symptoms, there are similarities in their respective pathogenesis.

Both are chronic, inflammatory, and degenerative conditions that have familial and sporadic forms. Other factors involved include genetic, environmental and behavioural risk factors.

The Perio Insight article, by University of Bristol researchers Tanya Cerajewska and Nicola West, shows how recent epidemiologic studies do indicate an association between Alzheimer’s disease and periodontitis.

But the authors say that further work is required to describe the nature of this association and to determine whether it is causal.

The Winter 2018-2019 edition of Perio Insight also features an article about the impact on research implied by changing to the new classification of periodontal and peri-implant diseases and conditions.

Mia Rakic, EFP delegate from the Serbian Society of Periodontology, offersan overview of the research implications, highlighting how correct classification of periodontal conditions “is fundamental to successful disease resolution”.

Several other clinicians from various European countries then explain what replacing “chronic” and “aggressive” periodontitis with a system based on four “stages” and three “grades” will mean for researchers and clinicians.

In addition, the magazine features two pages of summaries of research published in recent editions of the EFP’s Journal of Clinical Periodontology. Topics covered include the effect of periodontal treatment on diabetic patients and a comparison of guided bone regeneration and connective tissue graft techniques to re-establish convexity at the buccal aspect of single implants.

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