Gum Disease and Rheumatoid Arthritis

If you suffer from gum disease, you may be at risk for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). That’s the conclusion drawn by several recent studies into the long-established connection between the two diseases. At the Bridge Smiles Dental Group, we work hard to eliminate gum infections, but we need our patients to understand why it’s so important for them to keep regular appointments and practice oral hygiene.

Gum disease is caused by bacterial infection, but the causes of RA have remained unclear. The latter is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the body’s own synovium, which is the soft tissue that lines joints. As a result, synovium becomes thick and stiff. Scientists used to think that people with RA had high rates of gum disease because they struggled to brush and floss, but it’s often the gum disease symptoms that develop first. Recently, scientists discovered that synovium and gum tissue share similar cellular structures.

New studies have found that the acid secreted by oral bacteria triggers hypercitrullination, which is a process by which proteins are deformed at a higher rate than is necessary to regulate them. The immune system responds by overproducing anti-protein antibodies, which then damage synovium. Researchers are currently investigating whether treating gum disease can reduce inflammation in people already suffering from RA, but in the meantime, patients suffering from gingivitis should schedule appointments with us to prevent joint pain as well as periodontitis.

Drs. Meghadri and Grewal run Bridge Smiles Dental Group at 820 US Hwy 202 North Neshanic Station, NJ, and 15 North Bridge St. Somerville, NJ. To schedule an appointment, visit Bridge Smiles Dental.

 

Smoking and Pulpitis

Smokers are at higher risk for oral infections. We at Bridge Smiles Dental Group hope most people by now understand the connection between smoking and gingivitis and oral cancer. But recently, scientists discovered another harmful impact smoking has: increasing the severity and recurrence of dental pulp infections.

Inflammation is part of the immune system’s response to a disease or injury. When a tooth is infected, the inner pulp becomes inflamed (a condition we call “pulpitis”). This has the benefits of filling the area with white blood cells, restricting the flow of infected blood to the rest of the body, and of making cellular walls more permeable to immune system resources. Among those resources are antimicrobial peptides, which are molecules that attach to pathogenic bacteria and neutralize them.

In a recent study, scientists found that smokers lack antimicrobial peptides in their dental pulp. Because of this, their pulpitis was more resistant to treatment. Root canal therapy is the ordinary way of combatting a pulp infection; it allows us to remove the infected material and replace it with a sealant. But without antimicrobial peptides, small amounts of bacteria in overlooked material can linger. We’ll still do our best to care for patients with toothaches, but it is likelier smokers will need to have a tooth replaced. Some good news is that the study found antimicrobial peptides can sometimes return after the patient quits smoking.

Drs. Meghadri and Grewal run Bridge Smiles Dental Group at 820 US Hwy 202 North Neshanic Station, NJ, and 15 North Bridge St. Somerville, NJ. To schedule an appointment, visit Bridge Smiles Dental.

 

Cirrhosis and Gum Disease

Dentistry isn’t just a way of maintaining your teeth; it’s a key component of overall health. We at Bridge Smiles Dental hope our patients understand that there are a lot of things going on in their body that can affect their oral health, including diabetes. But now scientists have found evidence that better gum health can improve symptoms of a surprising disease: cirrhosis

Inflammation throughout the body can result from cirrhosis. The disease develops when the liver becomes scarred and is unable to filter toxic chemicals from the blood. Build up of toxins and inflammation in the brain can cause cognitive fog. People with gum disease have high rates of cirrhosis. Scientists thought that could be because both diseases can result from smoking and alcohol use, but new evidence has emerged that gum disease is also unusually common in people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Researchers soon became interested in whether one affects the other.

In a study recently conducted by Virginia Commonwealth University, people with cirrhosis and gum disease were divided into groups that received periodontal therapy at different times. The study found that after being treated, people were significantly likelier to experience a reduction in cirrhosis symptoms, including cognitive fog, and that they had higher counts of a gut microbe that combats inflammation. There’s still a lot about the link between oral bacteria and cirrhosis that we don’t understand, but we hope our patients will appreciate the importance of dental care and how much of a difference it can make to someone’s quality of life.

Drs. Meghadri and Grewal run Bridge Smiles Dental Group at 820 US Hwy 202 North Neshanic Station, NJ, and 15 North Bridge St. Somerville, NJ. To schedule an appointment, visit Bridge Smiles Dental.

 

Research into Filling Failure

Patients at the Bridge Smiles Dental Group deserve the best, including dentistry that is based on the latest scientific discoveries. Recently, dentists have become more interested in why some peoples’ experiences with fillings are worse than others, and a new study investigated common traits among people whose fillings failed prematurely.

This study examined the medical records of people whose fillings fell out or needed to be removed after less than five years. In ideal circumstances, fillings are expected to last for ten years. The researchers found that filling failures were higher among people who smoked and that people who drank alcohol more commonly experienced filling failure after just two years.

The study also found that people who experienced early filling failure were likely to share certain genes. This was surprising to some people, although people with certain DNA sequences are thought not to react as well to certain dental materials. The study also found that white composite fillings do not fail at a higher rate than those made of amalgam. This means that patients do not need to compromise the beauty of their smiles for the sake of stable fillings.

Drs. Meghadri and Grewal run Bridge Smiles Dental Group at 820 US Hwy 202 North Neshanic Station, NJ, and 15 North Bridge St. Somerville, NJ. To schedule an appointment, visit Bridge Smiles Dental.