Odontogenic foci and systemic diseases

The aim of the present review is to provide an up-to-date picture of what we know about the connection between odontogenic foci and non-oral diseases. After a brief historical summary, we give an overview on how the odontogenic focus causes disease in distant areas of the body in general, and then we start the discussion of the particular conditions, such as cardiovascular diseases, pneumonia, diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis and adverse pregnancy outcomes. The review is centered around the two main odontogenic foci: periodontitis and periapical periodontitis, the latter being a widely recognized but rarely discussed oral focus. Finally, we offer a few considerations that the practicing dentist may find useful when dealing with odontogenic foci.