Periodontitis and Diabetes: The Connection Between Two Common Diseases
Periodontitis and diabetes are two prevalent diseases with a strong bidirectional relationship between them. Poorly managed diabetes promotes the progression of periodontitis and complicates its treatment. Conversely, active periodontitis adversely affects diabetes management and treatment.
In honor of World Health Day, Tommi Pätilä, a heart and transplant surgeon at HUS New Children's Hospital, in Finland, and Timo Sorsa, a professor of oral and maxillofacial diseases at the University of Helsinki, reflect on the connection between these two prevalent diseases from the perspective of oral health.
Diabetes and gum inflammation are two significant global health issues that require immediate attention. About half of the world's population suffers from gum inflammation, while nearly half a billion people have diabetes.
In Finland alone, there are approximately 500,000 diabetics, with about 50,000 suffering from type 1 diabetes and around 400,000 from type 2 diabetes. Additionally, it is estimated that there are up to 100,000 undiagnosed type 2 diabetics in Finland.
Understanding the Close Connection
Periodontitis is a disease of the tooth-supporting tissues that progresses from gum inflammation and can ultimately lead to tooth loss. Symptoms of the disease include red, swollen, and bleeding gums, gum recession, formation of gum pockets, loosening of teeth, bad breath, and possible swallowing and chewing problems.
Periodontitis is associated with many risk factors, such as smoking, genetic factors, and systemic diseases like diabetes.
The symptoms of the disease can vary from mild to severe and often require evaluation and treatment by a dentist or dental hygienist. Early detection and treatment are crucial for managing periodontitis.
Diabetic patients have an increased risk of developing periodontitis, and conversely, periodontitis has a negative impact on diabetes treatment and management. High blood sugar levels increase inflammation in the mouth and hinder the healing of periodontitis. The combined effect of these two diseases is also reflected in systemic inflammatory markers and blood sugar levels.
Traditional diagnostic methods are not always sufficient to identify the risk of periodontitis and diabetes. Therefore, new biomarker-based rapid tests have been developed to help identify the risk of these diseases at an early stage.
Oral Health Status Revealed in Minutes
The aMMP-8 rapid test developed in Finland is based on measuring the concentration of active matrix metalloproteinase 8 (aMMP-8) in mouthwash. Studies have shown that elevated levels of aMMP-8 may indicate both periodontitis and diabetes.
The aMMP-8 rapid test can be performed at the dentist's office, and the results are obtained immediately. This allows for early intervention in the development of periodontitis and assessment of the risk of diabetes. Additionally, the test provides patients with important information about their oral health and the risk of diabetes, which encourages better self-care and adherence to healthy lifestyles.
"The test allows for the detection of signs of periodontitis even before symptoms occur, which provides an opportunity for early treatment and prevention of complications," says Professor Timo Sorsa of the University of Helsinki's Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Diseases.
The test has proven to be useful in screening patients with type I, type II, and gestational diabetes.
Oral Health: A Crucial Factor for Diabetics
Diabetic patients with periodontitis require special attention, reminds pediatric heart and transplant surgeon Tommi Pätilä. Pätilä is also one of the developers of the Lumoral innovation, which enhances mechanical oral hygiene.
"It is especially important for diabetics to invest in regular oral hygiene and dental visits. This not only improves patients' quality of life but also reduces the risk of long-term complications," says Pätilä.
According to Pätilä, adjunctive therapies can be combined with at-home oral hygiene management, such as low-dose doxycycline acting as an aMMP-8 inhibitor and light-activated mouthwashes with anti-inflammatory effects.
"Antibacterial Lumoral treatment effectively removes harmful plaque bacteria from tooth surfaces and gum lines. Home-administered Lumoral treatment has been shown to be significantly more effective and better tolerated than chlorhexidine-based mouthwashes commonly used today," Pätilä explains.
Pätilä emphasizes that antibacterial treatment complements mechanical tooth cleaning and does not replace the need for brushing and cleaning between teeth. Why is additional treatment needed to enhance mechanical oral cleaning?
"Research shows that brushing only removes 65% of plaque. Residual plaque remains in the mouth even after the most effective brushing. Lumoral helps remove this residual plaque. Regular Lumoral treatment ensures that tooth surfaces are thoroughly clean. Diabetics, in particular, benefit from this removal of residual plaque," says Pätilä.
According to studies, regular adjunctive antibacterial treatment alongside traditional non-surgical standard treatment reduces inflammation in gum tissues and improves oral hygiene and healing of deep pockets in chronic periodontitis compared to conventional treatment.
Antibacterial treatment has also been shown to prevent and improve inflammation of peri-implant tissues. The treatment is suitable for everyone, but light-activated antibacterial treatment is seen as most effective for patients who require enhanced oral hygiene.
***
World Health Day, launched by the World Health Organization (WHO), is celebrated globally on April 7th to increase awareness of health issues. This year, the timely theme "My health, my right" emphasizes the importance of health equity.
***
References:
Trujillo K, Räisänen IT, Sorsa T, Pätilä T. Repeated daily use of dual-light antibacterial photodynamic therapy in periodontal disease—a case report. Dent J (Basel). 2022;10(9):163. doi:10.3390/dj10090163
Pakarinen S, Saarela RKT, Välimaa H, et al. Home-applied dual-light photodynamic therapy in the treatment of stable chronic periodontitis (HOPE-CP)—three-month interim results. Dent J (Basel). 2022;10(11):206. doi:10.3390/dj10110206
Gholami L, Shahabi S, Jazaeri M, Hadilou M, Fekrazad R. Clinical applications of antimicrobial photodynamic therapy in dentistry. Front Microbiol. 2023;13:1020995. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.1020995
Lähteenmäki H, Pätilä T, Räisänen I, Kankuri E, Tervahartiala T, Sorsa T. Repeated Home-Applied Dual-Light Antibacterial Photodynamic Therapy Can Reduce Plaque Burden, Inflammation, and aMMP-8 in Peri-Implant Disease – A Pilot Study. Curr Issues Mol Biol 2022; 44: 1273–1283. doi: 10.3390/cimb44030085