Researchers have found strong evidence of a link between a common type of gum disease and severe arthritis - and a possible treatment for both diseases.
The study found that mice with induced gum disease developed significantly worse arthritis than those without gum disease. Signs of bone loss were also found in the joints of mice with gum disease alone and bone loss in the jaws of mice with arthritis alone.
Clinical studies are now underway to determine if treating periodontitis, the inflammation and infection of the ligaments and bones that support the teeth, can help to reduce the symptoms associated with arthritis.
Read more at University of Adelaide