What Are the Clinical and Systemic Results of Periodontitis Treatment in Obese Individuals?

Purpose of review: Periodontitis and obesity are characterized by a dysregulated inflammatory state. Obese individuals have a higher chance of presenting periodontitis. Clinical studies in different populations demonstrate that individuals with obesity have worse periodontal conditions. This current review aims to explore recent literature to understand what the impacts of obesity on periodontal treatment outcomes are and to learn whether periodontal treatment can improve systemic biomarkers in obese individuals.

Recent findings: Short- and long-term evaluations demonstrated that non-surgical periodontal treatment could improve clinical parameters in obese individuals, represented as the reduction in mean probing depth, sites with probing depth ≥ 4 mm, and extension of bleeding on probing. However, obese individuals may have less clinical improvement when compared to normal-weight individuals with a similar periodontal profile. Additionally, periodontal treatment may contribute to a reduction in systemic levels of retinol-binding protein 4 and leptin, while promoting an increase in systemic levels of adiponectin.

Summary: Overall, obese individuals with periodontitis can significantly benefit from non-surgical periodontal treatment. However, clinical improvements seem to be less prominent in obese individuals with periodontitis compared to non-obese individuals with similar periodontal status. Nevertheless, periodontal treatment may impact significantly on the reduction of several biochemical biomarkers of obesity with or without weight reduction. Further investigations are needed to improve our comprehension of the mechanisms underlying those findings.