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THURSDAY, December 23, 2021 (HealthDay News) – Gum disease isn’t just a threat to your teeth. It also increases your risk for diabetes, heart disease, mental disorders and more, UK researchers report.
“The study reinforces the importance of the prevention, early identification and treatment of periodontal disease, and the need for members of the public to attend regular oral health checks with a dentist or professional. dental care, â€said lead researcher Dr Joht Singh Chandan.
Examining thousands of people with gum disease, researchers have found links to a host of chronic health conditions. Compared with people with healthy gums, people with “rose in the sink” were more likely to develop heart failure, stroke, vascular dementia, high blood pressure, arthritis, psoriasis and type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Also, depression, anxiety and other serious mental illnesses.
“We found some evidence that periodontal disease appears to be associated with an increased risk of developing these associated chronic diseases,” said Singh Chandan, senior lecturer in public health at the Institute for Applied Health Research at the University of Birmingham.
“Since periodontal disease is very common, an increased risk of other chronic diseases can represent a significant public health burden, as chronic diseases can be linked to poor oral health,†he said.
According to the United States Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, nearly half of Americans over the age of 30 have gum or periodontal disease. Its early stage, called gingivitis, is characterized by swollen, red gums that may bleed. In its late form, called periodontitis, the gums may come loose from the tooth, the bone may shrink, and the teeth may loosen or fall out.
Dr. Leena Palomo is Professor and President of Periodontology and Implant Dentistry at the NYU College of Dentistry in New York. Palomo said that while this study does not prove that gum disease causes all of it, as “practicing periodontists we live this data every day.”
For the study, the British research team collected data on nearly 64,400 patients with a history of gum disease. They compared these patients with over 250,000 unconditional patients.
Of those with gum disease, nearly 61,000 had gingivitis and nearly 3,400 had periodontitis, both of which cause inflammation. Over a three-year follow-up, people with gum disease were more likely to develop other medical problems, investigators found.
People with gum disease were 37% more likely to develop a mental health problem, 33% more likely to develop autoimmune disease, and 18% more likely to develop cardiovascular disease. They were also 7% more likely to develop a metabolic disorder, with a 26% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, the researchers noted.
Whether gum disease is causing these problems or whether gum disease is the cause is unclear, Palomo said. “Some data shows that it is a two-way street. This is the case with diabetes. In other areas, we need more research and investigation,” she said. declared.
If your gums are not healthy, you should ask your doctor to check for other medical problems that may arise, Palomo advised.
When gum disease is caught early, it can be easily treated, she said. For a healthy mouth, it is important to have regular dental appointments.
“The advice is to be hypervigilant,†Palomo said. “Just because nothing hurts in your mouth doesn’t mean you should ignore dentist visits or the basics of brushing and flossing. People tend to forget these basics until they are finished. whether there is a toothache or abscess. “
The report was published online on December 19 in the BMJ Open.
More information
To learn more about gum disease, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
SOURCES: Joht Singh Chandan, PhD, MBBS, University Clinical Professor of Public Health, Institute for Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, UK; Leena Palomo, DDS, MSD, Professor and Chair, Ashman Department of Periodontology and Implant Dentistry, NYU College of Dentistry, New York City; BMJ Open, December 19, 2021, online
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