Obstructive sleep apnea and Periodontal disease

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder characterized by disruptions of normal sleep architecture. Chronic periodontitis is a chronic disease of the periodontium that elicits a general inflammatory response to local dental plaque. Periodontitis is becoming a highly prevalent disease worldwide. It has been suggested that periodontal disease may increase in severity with increasingly severe OSA because both disease entities share common inflammatory pathways acting synergistically to alter the host response. Indeed both conditions have been shown to be associated with the development of systemic diseases including cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. An association between these conditions could also have repercussions on the practice of dentistry and medicine. In order to guide the health care professional on diagnostic methods risk factors and treatments the research is currently focused on whether there is a causal relationship between periodontitis and OSA. This would not only encourage more comprehensive dental care but also contribute to establish a partnership between the dentist and the physicians.