Exploring the putative interactions between chronic kidney disease and chronic periodontitis

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and chronic periodontitis (CP) are both common diseases, which are found disproportionately comorbid with each other and have been reported to have a detrimental effect on the progression of each respective disease. They have an overlap in risk factors and both are a source of systemic inflammation along with a wide selection of immunological and non-specific effects that can affect the body over the lifespan of the conditions. Previous studies have investigated the directionality of the relationship between these two diseases; however, there is a lack of literature that has examined how these diseases may be interacting at the localized and systemic level. This review discusses how oral microorganisms have the ability to translocate and have distal effects and provides evidence for microbial involvement in a systemic disease. Furthermore, it summarizes the reported local and systemic effects of CKD and CP and discusses how the interaction of these effects may be responsible for directionality associations reported.