title: Periodontitis, cardiovascular disease and pregnancy outcome--focal infection revisited?
abstract: Over the last two decades there has been a renewed interest around the possible effects of periodontal disease on both cardiovascular health and pregnancy outcome (among other diseases), a topic which has interested science for hundreds of years. These have led to a range of studies, workshops and consensus documents being published, with corresponding coverage in general and professional media. In this article the authors summarise the history and supporting theories behind such associations, whether clinical studies have been able to confirm these and what this might mean for general practitioners who are questioned on this topic by patients.
authors.affiliation: Dental Institute, King's College London, Great Maze Pond, London, SE1 9RT.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ide
authors.affiliation: Centre for Public Health, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Royal Victoria Hospital, 274 Grosvenor Road, Belfast, BT12 6BA.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Linden
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000150:complications*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome