Periodontitis and lung function

It is hypothesized that removing the dental biofilm reduce the source of inflammatory bacteria that can reach the lungs, and thereby reduce lung inflammation and lead to improved lung function.

Linking periodontal disease and lung health provides a rationale for an oral hygiene program to improve both oral and respiratory health – preventing future respiratory disease and other conditions associated with poor oral health. Patients suffering from diseases like asthma and COPD can be treated, but not cured – therefore, prevention is key!

The PhD project named “The impact of oral bacteria on lung function and inflammation” aims to investigate if treatment of periodontitis (gum disease) in a relatively young and healthy population can improve lung function. 

Recruitment of participants for Bergen Oral Intervention Study – BORALIS started spring 2021, and was concluded in spring 2023. We included persons aged 25-45 years with mild to moderate forms of periodontitis. The participants had their lung function tested at several stages before, during and after receiving periodontal therapy. Additionally, we collected oral bacterial samples before and after periodontitis treatment to investigate the bacterial composition.  

If you have any questions please contact Anders Røsland, PhD candidate and dentist, at anders.rosland@uib.no.

In this PhD-project Anders has also studied the association between periodontis and lungfunction in Malmö Offspring Dental Study

Malmö Offspring Dental Study (MODS)

Since 2014, Swedish researchers lead by Daniel Jönsson, have been recruiting people to Malmö Offspring Dental Study (MODS) to investigate the link between oral health and general health. More than 1 000 Swedish women and men with an average age of 44 years have been examined in MODS. By assessing this data material, we wanted to investigate the association between oral health and lung function.

According to our findings, subjects with severe periodontitis had lower lung function than those who are periodontally healthy. Additionally, we observed that gingival inflammation, manifested as gum bleeding, has a negative impact on lung function.

The findings of the MODS study show that there is a link between periodontitis and lung health, and that it may be possible to influence lung health through improved oral health.

Røsland A, Bertelsen RJ, Bunaes DF, Drengenes C, Engström G, Klinge B, Lie SA, Nilsson PM, Jönsson D, Malinovschi A. Periodontits is associated with airflow obstruction in the Malmø Offspring Dental Study. J Clin Periodontol. 2023. Oct 14. doi: 10.1111/jcpe.13886. Online ahead of print.