Treating Periodontal Diseases Lowers Effects of Anemia

Treating Periodontal Diseases Lowers Effects of Anemia

Are periodontal diseases the handmaidens of anemia? The findings of an analysis of red blood cell counts among 187 patients puts sturdy legs under the argument some researchers make that chronic periodontitis may lead to anemia.

A team led by A. R. Pradeep, BDS, MDS, of the Department of Periodontics, Government Dental College and Research Institute in Bangalore, India, gathered study subjects who all had chronic periodontitis, and sought to determine who among them also had an anemic status. Those who had an anemic status were then further studied to gauge what effect 6 months of non-surgical periodontal therapy might have on their conditions.

After analyzing red blood cells at 3 months and 6 months, researchers noted statistical improvement in all red blood cell parameters. Furthermore, upon completion of the 6-month regimen of non-surgical periodontal therapy, statistical improvement was also noted in clinical parameters. The study likewise revealed that the risk of anemia runs higher among women who have severe periodontal diseases. Findings that back up that assertion included statistics that showed fewer than three in 10 men who participated in the study exhibited anemia compared to more than four in every 10 women.

Chemicals the body produces in response to periodontal inflammation can produce the undesirable effect of lowering hemoglobin levels, according to Nigel Carter, DDS, chief executive of the British Dental Health Foundation. “This latest work confirms that chronic periodontitis can contribute to the development of anemia,” he reports.

The good news, Carter points out, is that properly treating chronic periodontitis appears to lessen the severity of the anemia, particularly among women. He also observes that red blood cell counts and hemoglobin levels can be improved in the relatively short span of 3 months to 6 months.