Behçet’s Disease and Periodontal Disease

Purpose of Review: Behçet’s disease (BD) is a recurrent, chronic inflammatory disease affected by environmental triggers. Oral aphthous ulcerations are the most common and often the first sign of the disease. Although the etiology of BD has not been clearly established, its systemic effects originate from vasculitis and involve almost all organ systems such as gastrointestinal, neural, cardiac, and pleuropulmonary systems. Periodontal disease is the chronic inflammation of the surrounding tissues of the teeth. Depending on the degree of the disease, bleeding, mobility, pain, discomfort, and tooth loss may occur. This review focused on the effect of periodontal disease on the occurrence and severity of Behçet’s disease, the shared characteristics between the two diseases, and the evaluation and discussion of possible interactions. Recent Findings: Oral health is impaired in BD patients, and these patients seem to have high plaque accumulation and increased periodontal indices. High plaque accumulation, together with the host response, forms the basis of the etiology of periodontal diseases. It has been shown that severe periodontitis is associated with chronic inflammatory conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Many studies have reported that periodontal therapy is effective in reducing systemic pro-inflammatory mediators. Therefore, in an autoinflammatory and autoimmune disease such as BD, suppression of inflammatory pathways may be effective in the course of the disease. Indeed, periodontal treatment, dental examinations, and prophylaxis are effective on the severity of BD. Summary: BD is a recurrent, in some cases, life-threatening disease if not treated aggressively. In these patients, the quality of life from eating to sexual life, even sleep quality, is seriously affected. In addition, this disease is difficult to treat and control. Periodontal treatment can have a significant effect in improving the quality of life by helping balance environmental triggers.