Gum disease or periodontitis is typical for people who suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. A new research reveals that a certain germ may assist in clearing up the long-observed link between rheumatoid arthritis and gum disease.
Keep the following research in mind next time you visit a dentist in Station Road like Cuffley Village Dental Practice:
The New Discovery
For over a century, scientists recognised that individuals who have the inflammatory disease have a higher risk of developing gum disease. This is why they started to wonder whether both diseases had a mutual activator. According to Dr. Felipe Andrade, they will be able to help change the treatment of patients and alter the perception regarding rheumatoid arthritis if their suspicions are correct. However, he did note that they are still in the early stages of the study and that it still needs validation from others.
Dr. Andrade and his team discovered that individuals who have rheumatoid arthritis usually have periodontal disease, and vice versa. They reveal that this is likely because of the bacteria A. actinomycetemcomitans, which they both have in common.
The Link between Both Diseases
Rheumatoid arthritis is a lasting type of arthritis connected to an overactive immune system. This is a dangerous type because it does not limit itself to joints upsetting different body systems. Arthritis Research UK even reveals that this is the second most common type of arthritis in the UK. This is why these patients usually have fewer teeth caused by gum disease.
The researchers gathered around 200 samples from the gums of patients who have rheumatoid arthritis. They tried to determine if a bacterium is causing both illnesses by specifically looking into the A. actinomycetemcomitans found in gum diseases. This is how they found out that around 50 per cent of the subjects had an infection, while only 11 per cent did not have gum disease.
The discovery increases the chances that the germ might be the reason for both diseases. They theorise that the bacterium will first afflict the gums before causing the joints to swell as a type of side effect, or it might be the other way around. Their revelation helped treat people with rheumatoid arthritis by actively targeting the bacterium found.