Is C-Reactive Protein an Indicator of Periodontal Risk?

Periodontitis is a chronic, multifactorial, inflammatory disease caused by microorganisms and characterized by the progressive destruction of tooth-supporting tissue. In recent years, studies have shown a correlation and association between periodontitis and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, because both the disease has some similar risk factors and they produce an increase in plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) level. This protein has been attributed favorable characteristics as an inflammatory marker. This study was aimed to identify if there is any relationship between periodontitis and CRP values before starting periodontal treatment in a group of patients from the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Costa Rica. Periodontal examinations were performed on 30 patients, and a blood sample was obtained from each patient to determine the P-CR concentration. The average P-CR was found to be 3.72mg/L (95%CI: 2.06–5.38), which is a moderate to severe risk marker. Fifty-four percent of the total patients had chronic generalized periodontal disease, with no significant difference between the different periodontal disease with gender (p=0.416) or age (p=0.477). Meanwhile, forty-three and three percent of the total patients had localized chronic periodontal disease, and gingivitis respectively. It was observed that the female gender showed a relatively higher cardiovascular risk compared to the opposite gender (p=0.640). In contrast, no statistically significant difference was found in the P-CR value by gender, age or the presence of other diseases, although it was higher in those with metabolic diseases (5.5mg/L) compared to those without (2.7mg/L).