Recent research has studied the impact that Gum Disease treatment can have following a procedure to treat Atrial Fibrillation – which involves an irregular heartbeat. The research team were looking to see reoccurrence rates of the heart issue. Interestingly, the findings showed that gum disease has a large impact on reoccurrence rates and the overall treatment outcome of atrial fibrillation.
Recent research has looked at the impact that treating Gum Disease following a procedure to correct an irregular heartbeat can have – with many positives seemingly found [1].
The research suggests that once a person has had a procedure to correct an irregular heartbeat – known as Atrial Fibrillation – treatment for gum disease should take place [1].
The findings show benefits for both gum disease and long-term treatment outcomes of atrial fibrillation.
Background
This research looks at several areas. Among them is gum disease, which is an oral health condition that involves the gums becoming red, sore and swollen. The gums often become inflamed, causing pain.
Research shows that gum disease is very common. For example, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that 47.2% of adults aged 30 years and older and 70.1% of adults 65 years and older have some form of gum disease [2].
Moreover, the research also involves atrial fibrillation – which is a heart condition that causes an irregular heartbeat [3]. Normally, this involves an abnormally fast heartbeat.
The condition is a medical emergency, and impacts around 1.4 million people in the United Kingdom each year [3]. It is also common in the United States, with predictions suggesting more than 12 million people are expected to have atrial fibrillation by 2030 [1].
Atrial fibrillation also significantly increases the risk of having a stroke. Fortunately, there are treatment options available.
Now, a research team have sought to see how treatment for gum disease following a procedure for atrial fibrillation impacts both oral and physical health [1].
The Research
The research was carried out by a team of researchers from Japan. Their findings have been published in the Journal of The American Heart Association [1].
To conduct their research, the team followed 288 patients who had undergone a non-surgical procedure to correct atrial fibrillation [1]. This procedure is called Radiofrequency Catheter Ablation, and works by destroying a small area of heart tissue which is linked to irregular heartbeats [1].
Out of these 288 patients, 97 received treatment for gum inflammation following the procedure. The remaining 191 patients did not receive treatment for their gums after undergoing the procedure [1].
The researchers conducted follow-ups on the 288 participants between 8 months and 2 years. In these follow-ups, the team were looking to see how many people had seen a recurrence in atrial fibrillation, and if this was impacted in any way by the severity of gum disease, and if they had been treated for gum disease in the study [1].
The results produced informative findings, and reflected positively on gum disease treatment. The team found that atrial fibrillation had an overall reoccurrence rate of 24% across all participants [1].
However, in a crucial finding, patients that had received treatment for gum disease following the procedure were 61% less likely to experience a reoccurrence of atrial fibrillation [1]. This is a huge percentage, and reflects how important treatment for gum disease can be.
Out of the 191 patients that did not have gum disease treatment, those with more severe cases of gum disease were more likely to suffer a reoccurrence of atrial fibrillation [1].
The researchers concluded that having gum disease was a big risk factor in experiencing a reoccurrence of atrial fibrillation. Treatment for gum disease definitely helped to lower reoccurrence rates [1].
Summary
The results are very interesting, with the impact that the treatment of gum disease can have proving to be significant. The researchers were surprised at just how much gum disease impacted reoccurrence rates.
Shunshuke Miyauchi is an Assistant Professor at Hiroshima University in Japan, and played a key role in the research [4]. Miyauchi confirmed that “proper management of gum disease appears to improve the prognosis of atrial fibrillation” [4]. Moreover, he said that “many people around the world could benefit” from gum disease treatment.
Now, the research team are hoping to explore the link more. Miyachi says that the team “are now working on further research to reveal the mechanism underlying the relationship between” the two areas [4].
While the link between gum disease and our physical health is well-known, this research further affirms the importance of receiving treatment for it. It can clearly help with atrial fibrillation.
Furthermore, we can assume based on this study that it would positively impact a range of other conditions too. So not only can it boost our oral health, but physical health too.
Thinking points…
1) Gum disease affects so many of us. If caught early though, then there is a better chance of limiting its damage. Therefore, it is important that you attend regular dental appointments, as these offer a dentist a chance to spot the signs of gum disease and treat them accordingly. We recommend that you book an appointment now!
2) While gum disease cannot be reversed, treatments are available to help. For example, root planing, scaling, and even a gum graft, are all possible treatments. Here at Savanna Dental Clinic, we will be happy to have a conversation with you about your needs. You can find out more about us at the following link: https://savannadentalclinic.ca. We hope to see you soon!
What we offer at Savanna Dental
Savanna Dental is a dental clinic based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. We provide our patients with a range of treatment options and advice, with the aim of improving oral health and boosting overall wellbeing!
We advise our patients to attend our Calgary-based dental clinic twice a year for a dental check-up. If any problems are detected, we have many treatments available. For instance, these include cavity fillings and root canals. To try and prevent problems, it is important to brush your teeth at least twice a day and floss regularly.
Here at Savanna Dental, we also have some cosmetic treatments available! These include dental implants, tooth whitening and Invisalign[TM]! Our patients find that these treatments have a positive impact on their appearance, confidence and self-esteem.
In addition, the fees of our services at our Calgary dental clinic Savanna Dental are set in line with the Alberta Dental Fee Guide.
We would love you to visit our Savanna Dental clinic in Calgary! You can find out more about us by visiting our website https://savannadentalclinic.ca/!
References
[1] Miyauchi, S., Ouhara, K., Shintani, T., et al. (2024). Periodontal Treatment During the Blanking Period Improves the Outcome of Atrial Fibrillation Ablation. Journal of the American Heart Association. 0: e033740. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.123.033740.
[2] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2013). Periodontal Disease. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/conditions/periodontal-disease.html. Last accessed: 13th April 2024.
[3] NHS. (2021). Atrial fibrillation. Available: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/atrial-fibrillation/. Last accessed: 13th April 2024.
[4] American Heart Association. (2024). Treating gum disease after heart rhythm ablation reduces risk of AFib recurrence, study finds. Available: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2024-04-gum-disease-heart-rhythm-ablation.html. Last accessed: 13th April 2024.
