Periodontal disease linked to cardiovascular disease

Sir, Periodontitis is a destructive inflammatory disease of the supporting tissues of the teeth and is caused either by specifi c microorganisms or by a group of specific microorganisms , resulting in progressive destruction of periodontal ligament and alveolar bone with periodontal pocket formation, gingival recession, or both.[1] Periodontitis has been proposed as having an etiological or modulating role in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, respiratory disease, and adverse pregnancy outcome, and several mechanisms have been proposed to explain or support such theories and oral lesions are indicators of disease progression and oral cavity can be a window to overall health and body systems. One of these mechanisms is based on the potential effects of the infl ammatory phenomenon of periodontitis on the systemic dissemination of the locally produced mediators such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukins-1 beta (IL-1β) and -6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α).[2] Periodontitis creates a Let ters to the Edi tor JCDR