The Effect of Periodontal Treatment on the Reactive Hyperemia Index. A 1-Year Follow-Up Pilot Study

BackgroundPeriodontitis is a chronic multifactorial inflammatory disease of the supportive tissues of the teeth. In more recent years, remarkable epidemiological and pathophysiological associations between periodontitis and cardiovascular disease (CVD) have been presented. Whether or not treatment of periodontitis is valuable for primary or secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, has not yet been fully established. In this practice-based pilot study we focused on primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, by investigating the effect of periodontal treatment on the earliest detectable stage of CVD; endothelial dysfunction.MethodsOtherwise healthy periodontitis and non-periodontiti…