Association Between Periodontal Disease and Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

Cognitive impairment is an increasing global health burden, and growing evidence suggests that periodontitis may contribute to cognitive decline through chronic inflammation and other oral-systemic pathways. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the association between periodontal disease and cognitive impairment in adults and to contextualize the findings within prior evidence syntheses. In this review, periodontitis is conceptualized as a host-mediated chronic inflammatory burden rather than as a marker of intraoral infection alone.