Relationship between Carotid Artery Calcification and Periodontitis in the Saudi Population: A Retrospective Study

Background: Atherosclerosis is the primary cause of cardiovascular death, wherein plaque accumulates in the carotid artery, resulting in the formation of carotid artery calcification (CAC). Chronic infections emulate atherosclerosis development. Periodontitis is a chronic disease commenced by biofilm aggregation on the surface of teeth, which then progresses via deregulated local and inflammatory immune responses. Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of calcification in periodontitis patients and to determine if there is a relationship between carotid calcification and periodontitis with risk factors such as age, gender, hypertension, diabetes, smoking. Methods: The data and panoramic radiographs (PR) of 3000 patients from January 2017 to February 2022 were examined. On the basis of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 500 patients were selected for determining carotid calcification. Non-periodontitis patients, patients