Periodontal and inflammatory bowel diseases: Is there evidence of complex pathogenic interactions?

Figure 1 Depiction of the tooth inserted into the alveolar bone in a scenario of periodontal health (left) and periodontitis (right). In periodontal health, the alveolar bone and connective tissue are covered by the oral epithelium. The junctional epithelium (JE) connects the gingiva to the tooth, and the gingival crevice (GC) is the area between the sulcular epithelium (SE) and the tooth surface. In periodontitis, there is a periodontal pocket, a severe inflammatory infiltrate in response to the biofilm, and bone resorbtion.

Figure 2 Model of pathogenesis of both periodontal disease and inflammatory bowel disease. This involves a complex interplay between the immune-inflammatory response and a dysbiotic microbiota under the influence of genetic and environmental factors, where the diseases might have a cyclic impact on each other.