Oral–Systemic Links: What Do We Tell Our Patients?
Date: December 6, 2025
Time: 12 pm to 2 pm ET
Start time by time zone: 1:30 pm NT, 1:00 pm AT, 12:00 pm ET, 11:00 am CT, 10:00 am
MT, 9:00 am PT
Summary
The virtual platform will be Zoom. Be sure to download the Zoom app before joining the
session.
With over three decades of research, more than 57 systemic conditions—including diabetes, cardiovascular
disease, and
cognitive decline—have been suspected of having links to periodontal disease. Yet, the nature of these
connections
remains complex and often misunderstood.
During this presentation, dental hygienists will explore the evolving relationship between periodontal
disease and
systemic health, gaining a clearer understanding of the current evidence. By gaining insight into the most
plausible
explanations for these relationships, participants will be better equipped to communicate accurate,
evidence-based
information to their patients.
Access Information
The virtual platform will be Zoom. Download the Zoom
app before joining the session on a computer or mobile device. If
joining from a Windows or macOS desktop computer, Zoom offers closed captioning and translated captions in
real time.
You must have the latest version of Zoom, and a variety of languages are supported.
You will receive a link directly from Zoom via email. Click on the Zoom link to watch the presentation.
Presenter
Salme Lavigne, PhD, RDH (she, her/elle)
Salme Lavigne has 40 years of experience in dental hygiene education in Canada and the United
States. She holds a
diploma in dental hygiene from the University of Toronto, a bachelor’s degree in biomedical
anthropology from Lakehead
University, a master’s degree in dental hygiene education from the University of
Missouri-Kansas City, and a doctorate
in community health sciences from the University of Manitoba. Currently, she is a senior
scholar at the University of
Manitoba and scientific editor of the Canadian Journal of Dental Hygiene. She has
numerous publications in peer-reviewed
journals and has delivered over 120 continuing education presentations.
Learning Outcomes
After the presentation, participants will be able to:
- Discuss common misconceptions about the nature of relationships between oral and systemic
diseases
- Describe the difference between “association” and “causation”
- Discuss the current state of the evidence for proposed associations between periodontal disease
and diabetes,
cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, adverse pregnancy outcomes, rheumatoid arthritis,
cognitive decline,
inflammatory cancers, and others
- Discuss the most plausible explanation for these associations and how to accurately disseminate
that information to your
patients
- Discuss how maintaining good periodontal health can have a positive influence on overall health