Objectives: Inflammation is an integral part of the pathogenesis of periodontitis and sleep disorders. The aim of the present study was to review systematically the current evidence relating to the association between periodontal diseases and non-apnea sleep disorder.
Materials and methods: Systematic searches were performed in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Cochrane library, Web of Science, and Scopus without any limitation. Following preliminary screening, the quality of the remaining selected papers was appraised using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Due to substantial heterogeneity among the selected articles, main outcomes were reported in a qualitative manner.
Results: Following screening and evaluation, a final set of 13 studies was selected for inclusion. These studies examined the association between periodontal disease and short sleep duration, long sleep duration, poor sleep quality, or non-specific sleep disorders. The majority (N = 12/13) reported an association or trend between one type of sleep abnormality and periodontal or gingival parameters.
Conclusion: Despite the respective limitations of the articles included in this systematic review, an association between periodontal diseases and sleep disturbances was apparent.
Clinical relevance: Adequate management of periodontal disease requires that a patient's lifestyle factors be taken into consideration in treatment planning. One such factor is sleep initiation and maintenance. An obvious association between sleep disturbances and periodontitis exists. Sleep disorders may induce systemic inflammation, which, in turn, could influence the development of periodontitis.
Keywords: Periodontal disease; Sleep disorders; Systematic review.