Periodontitis and chronic bowel disease - the ailments of one could be the cause of the other

Chronic inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, are associated with a high level of suffering. Episodic abdominal pain, intestinal bleeding, diarrhea and fatigue, which often accompany patients for years, have a major impact on their professional and private lives. However, it is not a rare condition. In Germany alone, there are around 320,000 patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Chronic inflammatory bowel disease - the inability to work in tow

The employee suffers from the persistent accompanying symptoms, the employer from the weaker performance. After all, typical IBD symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain and exhaustion quickly knock the employee out. There is a risk of long periods of absence, frequent visits to the doctor, constant medication and poor work results. Particularly in the case of physical work, the illnesses are noticeable for the employer. Productivity decreases and accidents at work increase. Additional expenses and continued payment of wages cost the employer dearly.

Chronic bowel disease - what's behind it?

The specific causes of chronic bowel disease are still a mystery to scientists. However, possible risk factors are now known. A genetic predisposition is an obvious one. For example, if a close relative suffers from Crohn's disease, the risk of the remaining family members developing the disease increases tenfold. Researchers also blame faulty genes, smoking and depression for the chronic condition. However, a poor diet has not yet been confirmed as a risk factor.

Chronic bowel disease and periodontitis - close allies?

Anyone struggling with diseased teeth and inflamed gums goes to the dentist and then uses interdental brushes and antibacterial mouthwash as a preventative measure. However, very few people think about visiting an internist. The same can be observed in patients with chronic inflammatory bowel complaints. The treatment plan includes a light diet, radical dietary changes as well as yoga and autogenic training to cope with stress. However, a dentist appointment is rarely on the agenda. Yet the suffering of one could be the cause of the other. The connection between Periodontitis and chronic bowel disease is the subject of intense debate among experts.

It is not without reason that more and more internists are referring patients with chronic intestinal problems to the dentist. In some cases, the cause of the problem lies in the mouth - or more precisely, in severely inflamed gums. Harmful microorganisms also feel most at home in dead teeth, which gradually die off after the inflammation. If the inflammation remains unnoticed for a long time, the bacteria can multiply undisturbed, penetrate the organism and make themselves at home elsewhere in the body - on the heart muscle or in the digestive tract, for example.

If oral bacteria settle in the gut, they can cause digestive problems, flatulence, diarrhea and painful inflammation. If chronic intestinal diseases remain without a recognizable specific cause, it is therefore worth having your teeth and gums thoroughly examined. If periodontitis is diagnosed and treated, the complaints in the digestive tract often decrease along with the complaints in the oral region.
Oral manifestations have been described for Crohn's disease in particular and both diseases have pathogenetic similarities.

Chronic intestinal diseases and periodontitis - as in the gut, so in the mouth

Further studies could show that chronic bowel disease is closely linked to periodontitis. Thousands of different microorganisms, mainly bacteria, gather in our gut. Together, they form a microbiome weighing up to four pounds, which can have a lasting effect on the composition of saliva and the quality of oral flora. However, if the balance between good and bad microorganisms in the gut becomes unbalanced, oral health is also likely to suffer.