Severity and progression rate of periodontitis are associated with an increased risk of hypertension of patients attending a university clinic.

Background: Although periodontitis is associated with increased risk of hypertension, studies based on new periodontal disease classification is limited. We investigated whether periodontitis severity and progression rate are linked with self-reports on doctor-diagnosed hypertension in a large cohort of patients attending the periodontology clinic at the faculty of dentistry.

Methods: Archived patient files, including radiographic image records and results from full-mouth clinical periodontal examination were screened for inclusion.