Comparison of periodontal destruction between patients with coronary heart disease and healthy subjects using panoramic radiography

Considering the importance and prevalence of cardiovascular disease and periodontal disease, the aim of this study was to compare the amount of periodontal destruction in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) and healthy controls, using panoramic radiography. Fifty-four individuals (27 patients with CHD and 27 patients without CHD) participated in this study; the subjects had undergone angiography procedures for the diagnosis of CHD during the previous year. After patient consent was obtained, panoramic radiographs were taken; then the amount of alveolar bone loss and number of missed teeth were evaluated. This study showed that the amount of average bone loss in patients with CHD and the average number of extracted teeth were significantly higher than those in healthy subjects (P< 0.001). The average amount of bone loss according to the number of involved vessels was 4.71 mm in patients with 1 involved vessel, 4.63 mm in patients with 2 involved vessels and 5.14 mm in patients with 3 involved vessels; however, these differences were not statistically significant (P=0.333).This study suggested an association between poor oral condition and CHD, and provided evidence that the improvement of periodontal condition might influence the systemic, inflammatory and haemostatic situation.