Gum Disease and Cirrhosis

Dental hygiene shouldn’t be regarded as a luxury; it’s crucial to overall health. Scientists have made great progress in recent years learning about the connection between oral infections and non-oral diseases. We at Dr. Jia Lee’s Rancho Cucamonga dental practice have been pleased to see some unexpected areas in which dental health can improve a person’s life, including the management of cirrhosis.


The liver plays a crucial role in filtering toxic substances out of the bloodstream. But if it becomes chronically inflamed it can develop scar tissue and won’t function as well. This is how people develop cirrhosis, and one of its consequences is that they suffer widespread inflammation throughout the body. Inflammation in the brain can cause a patient to develop mood swings and a cognitive haze. Gum disease is found in unusually high levels in people with cirrhosis. This is partly because both are associated with smoking and alcohol, but recent studies indicated that people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are at risk for periodontal infections.


Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University were interested in whether there was a causal relationship between the two diseases. They assigned people with both to either a group that received gum disease treatment immediately or at a later date. Their finding was that patients’ cognitive fog and their count of anti-inflammatory gut bacteria significantly improved after getting periodontal therapy. Our offices are happy to provide patients with gum disease, but patients can prevent a lot of serious problems from developing in the first place by making regular dental appointments part of their ordinary health regimen.


Dr. Jia Y. Lee operates at 9477 Haven Avenue, Rancho Cucamonga, California, 91730. To schedule an appointment, call 909-989-5598 or visit MyRanchoCucamongaDentist.com.


 

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