The Surprising Connection Between Gum Disease And Rheumatoid Arthritis

culled from:prevention.com

Your dentist’s biannual lecture about flossing may have more implications than gum health. Turns out that the bacteria that causes periodontal disease may also impact the progression and severity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), according to recent research published in PLOS Pathogens.
"Both RA and gum disease share astonishingly similar clinical features," says lead study author Jan Potempa, PhD, who used mice to monitor how a common pathogen aggravates the course of RA. Periodontal disease is an infection-driven inflammation, while RA is an autoimmune disease, and yet a common denominator for both diseases is the fact that the frustrated immune system is attacking its own tissues, eventually leading to tooth loss and severe disfiguration and crippling of joint functions with RA, Potempa explains.
So how does the bacteria in our mouths affect our joints? Blame it on porphyromonas gingivalis, the only known bacterium that causes an unnatural modification of proteins that, when our immune system is on high alert due to inflammation, sees as the enemy. Those proteins could be anywhere in your body—but when they’re in your joints, that’s the beginning of a swifter progression of painful RA.
Just because you haven’t bought floss in a while doesn't mean it’s too late to start: “These proteins are found up to 10 years preceding the first clinical symptoms of RA,” says Potempa.
And don’t just stop at flossing; oral health is an important marker for what’s going on inside your body. Take a look at the 7 Weird Things Your Teeth Are Trying To Tell You for all the subtle signs.