The role of oral microbiota and tooth loss in cardiovascular disease risk: a systematic review

This systematic review explores the relationship between the oral microbiome in edentulous patients and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). A search was conducted across databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Embase, and gray literature sources. The review followed PRISMA and AMSTAR guidelines. After removing duplicates, the articles were evaluated by titles and abstracts, and 21 were selected for full-text review, with 9 ultimately included in the final analysis. Oral dysbiosis, linked to systemic conditions like obesity, diabetes, and CVD, is common in inflammatory oral diseases such as periodontitis and denture stomatitis, disrupting original oral microbiota. This imbalance may lead to transient bacteremia and systemic inflammation, contributing to CVD development. Tooth loss reduces salivary microbiome diversity, and denture use in CVD patients is linked to decreased life expectancy compared to dentate individuals. The findings suggest tooth loss, denture use, and oral microbiota dysbiosis are unconventional risk factors for CVD progression.