[Correlation between psychosocial factors and periodontal disease--a systematic review of the literature].
OBJECTIVE
This is a systematic review of the available empirical studies up to 2004 which deal with the question of the correlation between psychosocial factors/stress and gingival and periodontal disease.


METHODS
The three medical and psychological databases Medline, PsycInfo und Psyndex were searched systematically for relevant literature between 1946 and 2004.


RESULTS
34 empirical studies on humans (16 with and 18 without a control group) and ten empirical studies on animals are presented.


CONCLUSIONS
Despite serious methodological flaws in many studies, most (particularly the methodologically solid ones) indicated associations between a variety of psychosocial factors and periodontitis incidence and severity. The pathomechanisms between stress and periodontitis should therefore be the subject of further research.
Schneider
Gudrun
G
Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Munster, Domagkstrasse 22, D-48149 Munster, Germany. schneig@mednet.uni-muenster.de
Leyendecker
Siri Sophia
SS
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D016301:Alveolar Bone Loss / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D000818:Animals; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*