Recent research has found that the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) – a class of drugs commonly prescribed to treat heartburn, acid reflux, and ulcers – may decrease the severity of gum disease in patients using them. The study found that patients taking PPIs were more likely to have smaller probing depths in the gums (the gap between teeth and gums).
The research published in 2021 in Clinical and Experimental Dental Research, cites a possible tie between the findings and the side effects of PPIs, specifically changes in bone metabolism and in the gut microbiome. The researchers were investigating whether PPIs have the ability to alter bone metabolism or the gut microbiome, and to potentially impact periodontal microorganisms, therefore helping to lessen the severity of gum disease.
Healthy gums fit snuggly against the teeth, but if harmful bacteria builds up, that gap can deepen and then lead to inflammation and bone loss – gum disease. The study, conducted at the University at Buffalo, analyzed clinical data from 1,000 periodontitis patients, trying to see if there is a connection between PPI use and gum disease, basing the severity of the disease on probing depths. They found that 24% of patients who did NOT use PPIs had probing depths of 6 millimeters or more, as compared to just 14% of patients taking PPIs. 40% of patients not using PPIs had probing depths of 5 millimeters or more, compared to just 27% of patients taking them.
The researchers, led by Lisa M. Yerke, DDS, clinical assistant professor in the Department of Periodontics and Endodontics at the UB School of Dental Medicine, theorized that PPIs’ ability to alter bone metabolism or the gut microbiome, as well as potentially impact periodontal microorganisms, may help lessen the severity of gum disease.*
Further research is in development regarding these findings.
*https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/10/211013114036.htm
