1. Oral colonization by respiratory pathogens, fostered by poor oral hygiene and periodontal diseases, appears to be associated with nosocomial pneumonia. 2. Additional large-scale RCTs are warranted to provide the medical community with further evidence to institute effective oral hygiene procedures in high-risk patients to prevent nosocomial pneumonia. 3. The results associating periodontal disease and COPD are preliminary and large-scale longitudinal and epidemiologic and RCTs are needed.

1. Periodontal disease may be modestly associated with atherosclerosis, MI, and CVD. 2. Additional large-scale longitudinal epidemiologic and intervention studies are necessary to validate this association and to determine causality.

1. Periodontal disease may be a risk factor for PT/LBW. 2. Additional longitudinal, epidemiologic, and interventional studies are needed to validate this association and to determine whether it is causal. 3. It is not yet clear whether periodontal diseases play a causal role in adverse pregnancy outcomes. 4. Preliminary evidence to date suggests that periodontal intervention may reduce adverse pregnancy outcomes.