Abstract
Objectives
. This paper aims to review the evidence on the potential roles of modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors associated with periodontal disease.
Data
. Original articles that reported on the risk factors for periodontal disease were included.
Sources
. MEDLINE (1980 to Jan 2014), PubMed (using medical subject headings), and Google Scholar were searched using the following terms in different combinations: “periodontal disease,” “periodontitis,” “risk factors,” and “causal.” This was supplemented by hand-searching in peer-reviewed journals and cross-referenced with the articles accessed.
Conclusions
. It is important to understand the etiological factors and the pathogenesis of periodontal disease to recognize and appreciate the associated risk factors. As periodontal disease is multifactorial, effective disease management requires a clear understanding of all the associated risk factors.