Synopsis
Inflammatory bowel disease is a broad term for diseases involving inflammation in the gut. There is early evidence indicating a link between severe gum disease and inflammatory bowel diseases.
Information
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is the broad term for Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease which are two inflammatory diseases involving the gut. Periodontitis is a severe inflammatory disease involving the gums that causes loss of supporting structures for teeth. These two conditions are thought to be linked due to both involving inflammation and some studies have shown mouth bacteria in the gut.
Bacteria travelling from the mouth to the gut can lead to the body’s defence system reacting to the mouth bacteria, causing abscesses and other reactions in the gut that may not otherwise occur. In people that have severe gum disease and IBD, the combination increases overall body inflammation and may worsen the progression of the diseases.
This shows that controlling severe gum disease may benefit control of IBD.
Patients with these diseases may have specific conditions in their mouths due to the mouth being connected to the gut. These include ulcerations in the mouth that can occur during an attack or right before an attack in the gut.
Visiting the dentist is vital in managing mouth diseases but to also monitor any signs of the disease within the mouth. Dentists can help with controlling the pain of ulcers and ensuring that other conditions do not present. They can also help with professional cleaning that will improve your gum health. It is also important to maintain your own mouth health by brushing twice a day, flossing once a day, eating a balanced and nutritious diet and choosing water for hydration.
- Abrol, N., Compton, S. M., Graf, D., Parashar, P., Heo, G., & Gibson, M. P. (2022). Inflammatory bowel disease and periodontitis: A retrospective chart analysis. Clinical and Experimental Dental Research, 8, 1028- 1034
- Vavricka S, Manser C, Hediger S, Vogelin M, Scharl M, Biedermann L, Rogler S, Seibold F, Sanderink R, Attin T, Schoepfer A, Fried M, Rogler G, Frei P. Periodontitis and Gingitivitis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Case-Control Study. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2013 19;13; 2768-2777
- Mello-Neto, J.M.; Nunes, J.G.R.; Tadakamadla, S.K.; Figueredo, C.M. Immunological Traits of Patients with Coexistent Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Periodontal Disease: A Systematic Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 8958.
- Lira-Junior, R.; Figueredo, C.M. Periodontal and inflammatory bowel diseases: Is there evidence of complex pathogenic interactions? World J. Gastroenterol. 2016, 22, 7963–7972.
- Hajishengallis, G.; Chavakis, T. Local and systemic mechanisms linking periodontal disease and inflammatory comorbidities. Nat. Rev. Immunol. 2021, 21, 426–440
- Stephan R. Vavricka, MD, Christine N. Manser, MD, Sebastian Hediger, Marius Vögelin, Michael Scharl, MD, Luc Biedermann, MD, Sebastian Rogler, Frank Seibold, MD, René Sanderink, DDM, Thomas Attin, DDM, Alain Schoepfer, MD,
- Michael Fried, MD, Gerhard Rogler, MD, PhD, Pascal Frei, MD, Periodontitis and Gingivitis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Case–Control Study, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, Volume 19, Issue 13, 1 December 2013, Pages 2768–2777,
All articles are thoroughly researched and reference high-quality studies and information to support the subject matter.
Our experts continually monitor the oral health space. As research and recommendations change or we get reader feedback, we update the information in our articles.