DR. JACK LIPKIN, B.SC., D.M.D. - Winnipeg

It’s possible, according to the editors of the American Journal of Cardiology and Journal of Periodontology. Dr. Jack Lipkin agrees.

“As medical science moves forward it becomes more and more evident that we are a series of incredibly complex biological processes and those processes are intertwined in countless ways,” says Lipkin. “So, an abnormality anywhere can have profound effects on many other areas. The connection between gum disease and cardiac disease is just such a case.”

Periodontitis, commonly known as gum disease, is a local, chronic inflammatory disease caused by bacteria. It destroys the connective tissue and bone that supports the teeth. Mild to moderate periodontitis is common, affecting 30% to 50% of adults in the US and the severe generalized form affects 5% to 15%.

“Gum disease begins with a microbial infection and leads to the destruction of soft tissue and bone,” says Dr. Jack Lipkin. “Without the accumulation of bacteria on the teeth, the disease can’t begin. Once it’s established though, the immune system plays a major role in each person’s response and the progression of the disease. Environmental, genetic and acquired risk factors like diabetes, depression, obesity and tobacco use can also accelerate destruction of tissue and bone. So although bacteria starts periodontitis, each person’s risk factors influence the severity and extent of disease.”

So while it appears that reducing risk factors like obesity, depression and tobacco use can improve oral health, evidence is beginning to show that the reverse is also true - that treating periodontitis can improve other aspects of your health:

Diabetes and Gum Disease

A large-scale study in Pima Indians reported that among children and teens with diabetes and periodontitis, the degree of control they had of their metabolism changed the severity of soft tissue and bone loss related to gum disease. And, worsening gum disease decreased their glycemic control.

“It may be that inflammation is the link between diabetes and gum disease, that requires more study,” adds Dr. Lipkin, “but it is known that treating gum disease in people with diabetes improves their glycemic control.”

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) and Inflammation

It’s well established that LDL cholesterol is a primary factor in heart disease and that reducing the level of LDL cholesterol in the body is the best-known way to reduce the risk of heart disease. There are also other risk factors, like age, gender, high blood pressure, diabetes and smoking. But over the past 20 years or so, inflammation has emerged as another contributing factor for cardiovascular disease. The precise role of inflammation as a direct, causative factor remains an area of intense current investigation.

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) and Periodontitis

The association between gum disease and cardiovascular disease is getting the attention of researchers, but the results so far are unclear. Some say there is no causative relation between the two, but others say the connections are strong. That’s because the studies use different populations, including different age groups, ethnicities, and geographic locations, and because they don’t use a consistent definition of evidence or degree of gum disease.