IBD Patients at higher risk of Periodontitis, reveals research
Researchers have found in a new study that patients with inflammatory bowel disease have a higher risk of developing periodontitis, making regular screening essential. Given the various oral manifestations and the impact on quality of life, awareness of periodontitis symptoms is crucial for early detection and management.
Several earlier studies have shown that inflammatory bowel disease (including its two subtypes, ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease) increases the risk of periodontal disease. This study aimed to evaluate the relevance between periodontitis and inflammatory bowel disease subcategories.
This study was conducted based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The Web of Science, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases were searched up to February 2024 using pertinent keywords. Case series, review articles, and animal studies were excluded. The risk of bias in this research was evaluated through the Joanna Briggs Institute criteria. The meta-analysis was conducted using R statistical software.
Results: A total of 9134 patients from 13 studies were evaluated after the screening process. The study has shown that periodontitis is significantly more prevalent among patients with inflammatory bowel disease, including both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. The study found that the prevalence of periodontal disease was significantly high among patients with Crohn’s disease. Similarly, ulcerative colitis was found to elevate the risk of periodontal disease.
However, the risk of periodontitis was not significantly different between patients with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease patients were more likely to develop periodontitis, with low variation between studies, while the prevalence of periodontitis among ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease patients was not meaningfully different. The higher risk of periodontitis in patients with IBD indicates the necessity of screening for periodontitis. Considering the various oral manifestations and poor quality of life associated with IBD, it is important to be aware of the symptoms of periodontitis.
Reference:
Ayati, A., Khodabandelu, S., Khaleghi, S. et al. A systematic review and network meta-analysis of the association between periodontitis and inflammatory bowel diseases. BMC Oral Health 25, 463 (2025).https://doi.org/10.1186/s12903-025-05830-9
