The bacteria that exist in gum disease are found to be the same bacteria that lubricates the knee and hip joints. In 36 of the tested patients with osteoarthritis, only five or 14% of the patients showed a direct link between the bacteria in the mouth and the bacteria in the knee joints. This is a good sign that we are going in the right direction with this theory. With a bigger study more evidence could be found to really prove the theory. This could lead to a new health awareness campaign for oral health. Showing that brushing teeth not only makes your breath nice and teeth white it can also make you healthier. And this can really hurt the tobacco industry with another health problem with long term tobacco usage.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120418112047.htm
Posted by Khoa Chu (1)
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I like this blog because it emphasizes the importance of brushing teeth. I can't stand not brush my teeth at least twice a day because i can feel the sugars building up on my teeth. I would be interested in seeing more studies proving this theory though. I'm confused where the tobacco statement came from.
ReplyDeletePosted by: Jen Silva(3)
I thought the tobacco would help relate to the gum disease because I thought it would be most common to get gum disease from smoking or chewing tobacco.
DeletePosted by Khoa Chu (1)
I have to say, I'm confused about what the actual connection is between oral health and joint health. Not much information is given in this blog, and the link between the bacteria in your mouth, your joints, and tobacco use is not clear at all. I think this could be an interesting topic though, so I'd like to hear more about what the study consisted of and what it proved.
ReplyDeletePosted by Laura Moro (2)
The connection is that the bacteria that develops in a mouth of a person with gum disease will also begin to develop in the knee joints. And what I got from the article is that the lubricant fluid in the knee joint begins to deteriorate and become bacteria infested from the bacteria from the gums, due to a linkage or similarity between the two causing the body to react in an unexpected area. Not much information can be provided yet since only a few tests have been performed, but there seems to be light in the topic. The tobacco reference was used as an example of getting gum disease. I just thought a common and known way of getting gum disease.
DeletePoseted by Khoa Chu (1)
14% isn't a huge amount, maybe some sort of byproduct of the osteoarthritus that is only produced in certain types of systems is linked to the teeth? More research in this would definitely be interesting. Although maybe whatever causes osteoarthritus also causes gum disease, in which case the study isn't that interesting anymore. Only time will tell.
ReplyDeleteMike Selden (3)
I thought 14% was big because only a few people were tested and I thought the odds of the percentage being any higher than five would be hard, since it was just a shot in the dark just testing patients with osteoarthritis. But I do think that it could possibly be a byproduct of osteoarthritis that causes the gums to react. I just hope more research is put into this.
DeleteInteresting topic! I feel many people overlook the importance of oral hygeine and this atricle, linking the health of one's gums with their joints hopefully will encourage more people to take better care of their mouth. As mentioned, more research on this topc would be great, highlighting the importance of health for every part of the body.
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