gum disease

Gum Disease Bacteria may Facilitate Rheumatoid Arthritis

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As stated over on the risks of keeping wisdom teeth page, gum disease (periodontal disease) has been shown to have associations with many different systemic diseases. One such systemic disease is rheumatoid arthritis (RA). So far, any mechanism has remained elusive. In a recent study appearing in PLoS Pathogens, researchers at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry Oral Health and Systemic Diseases and other researchers from the European Union’s Gums and Joints project have uncovered how the bacteria responsible for periodontal disease known as Porphyromonas gingivalis effects rheumatoid arthritis. The researchers showed that this bacteria leads to faster progression, greater severity and earlier onset of RA and can cause bone and cartilage destruction. The researchers found the bacteria produces a unique enzyme, peptidylarginine deiminanse (PAD), which enhances collagen-induced arthritis (CIA), which is an arthritis produced in the lab designed … Read more

Treating Gum Disease in Australians Leads to Better Vascular Health

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According to a new study in the journal of Hypertension, a single session of gum treatment in Aboriginal Australians can lead to a significant decline in the thickening of the wall of the carotid artery a year later. The thickness of the wall of the arteries is a risk factor for heart disease. Aboriginal Australians are generally thought to have poorer oral health and higher rates of cardiovascular disease when compared to other Australian groups. The researchers say that the effect is comparable to a 30% fall in low density lipoprotein cholesterol which is known as bad cholesterol and associated with a decreased risk of heart disease. The researchers also note that such an effect is equivalent to reversing four years of aging or 25 mm Hg lower systolic blood pressure. Periodontal or gum disease is an inflammatory disease which affects … Read more

Gum diease can lead to selective disarming of the immune system

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A new study has shown that bacteria responsible for many cases of periodontitis causes dysbiosis in a two prong manipulation of the immune system. The researchers say that periodontal bacterium porphyromonas gingivalis acts on two molecular pathways to block immune cells’ killing ability while preserving the cells’ ability to cause inflammation. This protects these bacteria from being removed by the immune system and leads to bone loss and inflammation which is characteristic of periodontitis. The researchers say when inflammation occurs breakdown products are produced which causes dysbiosis and creates a vicious cycle. P. gingivalis is known as a keystone pathogen. Their presence may be relatively few in the mouth but they can exert a large pull on the overall microbial ecosystem. P. gingivalis doesn’t actually cause periodontitis but is responsible for causing the process that leads to it. The researchers believe that … Read more

Oral Bacteria That Causes Periodontitis Delievers a One-Two Punch

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Oral health care workers and scientists have know for many years that bacteria cause periodontitis (gum disease); however, they were not sure exactly what bacteria was response. Recently the bacteria that causes periodontitis (gum disease) has been identified by a University of Michigan study. This bacterium is known as NI1060. It was also found that this triggers a normally protetive protein in the oral cavity called Nod1 to trigger bone destroying cells. In normal circumstances Nod1 fights harmful bacterium in the body. Hence, it was that the bacteria that causes gum disease triggers a one-two punch by also causing normally protective proteins to then destroy more bone. In normal cases No1 helps to fight infection by recruiting neutrophils which are blood cells that act as bacterial killers. Nod1 also removes harmful bacteria during infection. When periodontitis (gum disease) occurs NI1060 … Read more

Gum Disease More Common With Old Age

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A recent study which appeared in Nature Immunology shows that the deterioration in gum health which occurs with increasing age is associated with a drop in the level of a chemical called Del-1. Periodontitis is a disease of the gums which causes bleeding and bone loss which can, over time, lead to loss of teeth. Periodontitis  is caused by an over-active immune response to bacteria that grow in the mouth. As people age they are more likely to suffer from inflammatory diseases, including gum disease. The new research investigated gum disease in young and old mice and found that an increase in gum disease in the older animals was accompanied by a drop in the level of Del-1. Del-1 is known to restrain the immune system by stopping white blood cells from sticking to and attacking mouth tissue. In mice that had … Read more