WEDNESDAY, Nov. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Losing weight appears to
help fight gum disease, a new study indicates.
It included 31 obese people who underwent treatment for gum
disease. Half of the patients (average body-mass index, or BMI, of
39) had gastric bypass weight loss surgery and also had fat cells
removed from their abdomen. The other patients (average BMI of 35)
did not have gastric bypass surgery or fat removed from their
abdomen.
All the participants underwent nonsurgical periodontal (gum)
treatments of scaling/root planing and received instructions for
oral hygiene at home.
Both groups showed overall improvement in gum health but those
in the surgery group showed greater improvement on measures for
periodontal attachment, bleeding, probing depths and plaque levels,
Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine
researchers said in a university news release.
The study was published in the
Journal of Periodontology.
The improved response to periodontal treatment may be due to
reductions in insulin resistance and inflammation associated with
weight loss, the researchers said.
More information
The American Dental Association has more about
gum
disease.