Dimitra Sakellari

Frailty syndrome and periodontal disease.An emerging relation

Dimitra Sakellari, D.D.S., M.Sc., PhD.
Professor, Department of Periodontology, Dental School, Aristotle University Thessaloniki, Greece

“Frailty syndrome” is a geriatric syndrome that has been increasingly studied in recent years. It is characterized by increased vulnerability to stressors and constitutes a risk factor for adverse health outcomes in older adults. It mainly affects women, and its prevalence increases logarithmically with age. Internationally, two primary assessment tools are used: the Frailty Phenotype and the Frailty Index. In 2023, the prevalence of the syndrome in Greece was estimated at 9.9%.

Chronic inflammatory conditions such as periodontitis, as well as a reduced immune response, appear to play a significant role in frailty syndrome. Conversely, according to the existing literature, older experimental animals exhibit more severe bone loss, more intense gingival inflammation, and higher concentrations of inflammatory mediators such as interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and TNF-α. Similarly, in older humans under an experimental gingivitis model, inflammation is more pronounced, compared to younger individuals with the same microbial load. Epidemiological studies to date suggest a bidirectional relationship between periodontitis and frailty syndrome. Although the relationship between these two pathological entities remains a contemporary topic for investigation, the need for proper oral hygiene and a healthy periodontal status in older adults is increasingly emphasized.

Dimitra Sakellari D.D.S,Ph.D, has graduated from the Dental School,Aristotle University of Thessaloniki .She did her post-doctoral studies and has worked at the Harvard- affiliated Forsyth Institute in Boston, U.S.A.
She is a faculty member of the Dental School of AUTh since 2000,actively participating at teaching and research of the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Since 2017 she is serving at the rank of full professor of the Department of Preventive Dentistry, Periodontology and Implant Biology.
Her more than 80 publications in International and Greek peer-reviewed journals , numerous participations in scientificconferences and line of research relate to the field of Periodontology and Implant Biology.From2022-2025 she has been appointed as Head of the Department.She is currently vice-Dean of the Dental School at AUTh.