title: [How threatening is periodontitis? Effects of periodontitis on the human body].
abstract: Periodontitis is a chronic inflammatory process which is not only threatening for the dentition. Bacteriae and their substances can enter the bloodstream by eating, toothcleaning or dental treatment and harm the body. Known are heart-valve infections by S. sanguis, but also pneumonia is seen more in patients with periodontitis. Recently it appears that periodontitis is probably the main course of preterm low birthweight babies. It has also been shown that there exists a close association between periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases. Investigations even suggest that this might be a causal relation.
authors.affiliation: Parodontologie Praktijk Groningen Ubbo Emmiussingel 17 9711 BB Groningen. joha.dijk@wxs.nl
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: van Dijk
mesh_terms: D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000209:etiology*; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000150:complications*; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000209:etiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors