Gum Disease and Obesity: Why the Two May Be Related

It can be easy to take for granted all that goes on in our bodies at a microscopic level. The effects of obesity don’t always reveal themselves immediately, but that doesn’t mean serious damage isn’t being done. The size of your waistline may even affect the health of your gum line, silently inflicting gum disease. Some scientists believe that gum disease may be an early indicator of impending obesity...so what we have here is a chicken and egg situation, but the link is pretty certain either way.

The Causes of Gum Disease

Gum disease, the biggest cause of bleeding gums in adults, can occur due to numerous factors. Crest.com lists the most common ones, which include:

• Tobacco use significantly increases gum disease risks and reduces the likelihood of successful treatment.
• Not brushing and flossing well enough allows plaque to build up at the gum line, where it can breed inflammation-inducing bacteria.
• Stress and hormonal changes may make you more susceptible to gum inflammation.
• Lack of nutrition can affect inflammation levels.
• Some medications, both prescription and over-the-counter, can diminish gum health.
• Some chronic diseases can predispose sufferers to gum disease.

These causative factors can all trace back to one broader, more systemic issue: inflammation.

The Connection Between Gum Disease and Obesity

The link between severe gum disease and obesity is striking. One Australian study found obesity increased a person’s chances of having gum disease by 13 percent. Another study, performed in India, found that 38.6 percent of obese participants had gum disease, whereas only 12.4 percent of non-obese participants were affected. So, how do the two connect?

Inflammation. Obesity is a biggie when it comes to triggering inflammation. An article recently published in Nature explains that obesity affects the production of certain types of cytokines, proteins that affect inflammation levels. These cytokines, which include tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-6, can contribute to chronic inflammation.

The inflammatory connection may also be the reason why people who are obese are also at a higher risk of autoimmune diseases, which can also increase a person’s chances of developing gum disease.

Obesity can have numerous lasting effects on the body. But gum disease is uniquely challenging as it's often treated outside the medical office and many doctors have no idea their patients are suffering with the condition. It may help the dentist to consider a patient's comorbidities for the condition and the physician to ask about it. But in the meantime, we would urge patients for either of these conditions to pass along the info between their care providers in the interest of each having full and complete information.

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