Aim

To investigate the effect of treatment of periodontitis on systemic health outcomes, pregnancy complications, and associated quality of life.

Materials and methods

Systematic electronic searches were conducted to identify randomized controlled trials with minimum 6-month follow-up and reporting on the outcomes of interest. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed as deemed suitable.

Results

Meta-analyses confirmed reductions of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) [0.56 mg/L, 95% confidence interval (CI) (−0.88, −0.25), p < .001]; interleukin (IL)-6 [0.48 pg/ml, 95% CI (−0.88, −0.08), p = .020], and plasma glucose [1.33 mmol/l, 95% CI (−2.41, −0.24), p = .016], and increase of flow-mediated dilation (FMD) [0.31%, 95% CI (0.07, 0.55), p = .012] and diastolic blood pressure [0.29 mmHg, 95% CI (0.10, 0.49), p = .003] 6 months after the treatment of periodontitis. A significant effect on preterm deliveries (<37 weeks) was observed [0.77 risk ratio, 95% CI (0.60, 0.98), p = .036]. Limited evidence was reported on quality-of-life (QoL) outcomes in the included studies.

Conclusions

Treatment of periodontitis results in systemic health improvements including improvement in cardiometabolic risk, reduction in systemic inflammation and the occurrence of preterm deliveries. Further research is however warranted to confirm whether these changes are sustained over time. Further, appropriate QoL outcomes should be included in the study designs of future clinical trials.