In our practice we pay a lot of attention to chronic low grade infections because the inflammation associated with them contributes to a broad range of diseases including autoimmune disorders, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc. The gastrointestinal tract is a frequent site of chronic infection, and this paper published in the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences investigates the link between infection in the upper end of the GI tract—periodontitis—and inflammation:

“Increasing evidence implicates periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease of the tooth-supporting structures, as a potential risk factor for increased morbidity or mortality for several systemic conditions including cardiovascular disease (atherosclerosis, heart attack, and stroke), pregnancy complications (spontaneous preterm birth [SPB]), and diabetes mellitus.”

Their survey identifies a ‘smoking gun’ of inflammation:

“Consistent with this hypothesis clinical studies demonstrate that periodontitis patients have elevated markers of systemic inflammation, such as C-reactive protein (CRP), interleukin 6 (IL-6), haptoglobin, and fibrinogen. These are higher in periodontal patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) than in patients with AMI alone, supporting the notion that periodontal disease is an independent contributor to systemic inflammation. In the case of adverse pregnancy outcomes, studies on fetal cord blood from SBP babies indicate a strong in utero IgM antibody response specific to several oral periodontal pathogens, which induces an inflammatory response at the fetal–placental unit, leading to prematurity.”

A very good reason to take care of your teeth and gums:

“The importance of periodontal infections to systemic health is further strengthened by pilot intervention trials indicating that periodontal therapy may improve surrogate cardiovascular outcomes…and may reduce four- to fivefold the incidence of premature birth.”

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