Hi everyone,
Are you familiar with a Fracture Assessment Risk Tool? Chances are probably not if you don’t suffer from repeated bone fractures or osteoporosis or have a family history of osteoporosis. The Fracture Assessment Risk Tool, or FRAX as it is more commonly referred to, was created by the World Health Organization. The desire was to help predict the risk of bone fractures related to osteoporosis within the next 10-year span of a patient’s life. But a recent study from the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine reveals that the FRAX assessment may also be a helpful diagnostic tool for periodontal disease.
A unique study done by researchers at Case Western in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic suggests that postmenopausal women susceptible to bone fractures or bone loss may be at a higher risk for periodontal disease and more likely to have symptoms of severe gum disease. According to Dr. Leena Palomo, DDS, MSD, associate professor of Periodontics and Director of the DMD Periodontics program, the study suggests that this tool is more important to predict women with bone loss who are at a greater risk for gum disease. [Read more…]
A recent published study indicates that patients on a common drug regimen to treat heart disease may also reduce gum inflammation as well. Published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, the study revealed that statins, commonly prescribed to lower cholesterol, also decreased the gum inflammation associated with gingivitis and periodontal (gum) disease for participants. Perhaps what makes this study unique is that it demonstrated so clearly the direct correlation between periodontitis and atherosclerosis. The defining symptoms between the two conditions are inflammation, which is present within most patients that have heart disease.
ancient Greek scholars such as Aristotle and Hippocrates both wrote about dentistry, recommending treatments for gum disease such as using wires to stabilize loose teeth and fractured jaws. Even the Ancient Egyptian’s medical texts referred to recipes of various mouthwashes or mixtures that included beer, bran and celery to fight against periodontitis. But researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have come up with a 21st century treatment that involves introducing immune cells directly to inflamed gum tissue. This is great news for the 78 million Americans that currently suffer from tooth loss and gum issues. 