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Volume 6, Issue 2 (2026) – 2 articles
Cover Picture: There is a complex and potentially bidirectional association between Parkinson’s disease (PD) and periodontitis. Epidemiological studies consistently show that periodontal disease and other oral-health problems are more common in patients with PD, whereas the hypothesis that periodontitis increases PD susceptibility remains biologically plausible but not yet conclusively established. Mechanistically, PD-related motor and non-motor symptoms can impair oral self-care and worsen periodontal status; conversely, chronic periodontal infection may contribute to neurodegenerative stress through oral dysbiosis, the oral-gut-brain axis, microglial activation, Th1-skewed immune responses, oxidative stress, ferroptosis-related injury, and pathogen-associated effects on α-synuclein biology. Importantly, part of the observed association may also reflect shared modifiers, particularly vitamin D status and diet, which may influence both periodontal inflammation and PD-related vulnerability. Further clarification of these pathways may support more integrated oral-health management within comprehensive PD care.
