A new study published in the Journal of Periodontology suggests that periodontal disease may increase the risk for respiratory infections such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and pneumonia.

The study, which was carried out by a team from the ITS Centre for Dental Studies & Research in Ghaziabad, India, included 200 participants between the ages of 20 and 60 with at least 20 natural teeth. Half of the participants were hospitalised patients with a respiratory disease such as pneumonia, COPD or acute bronchitis and the other half were healthy control subjects with no history of respiratory disease. Each participant underwent a comprehensive oral evaluation to measure periodontal health status.

The study found that patients with respiratory diseases had worse periodontal health than the control group, suggesting a relationship between respiratory disease and periodontal disease. Researchers suspect that the presence of oral pathogens associated with periodontal disease may increase a patient's risk of developing or exacerbating respiratory disease.

'This study provides yet another example of how periodontal health plays a role in keeping other systems of the body healthy,' said Donald S. Clem, DDS, President of the American Academy of Periodontology.

Previous research has associated gum disease with other chronic inflammatory diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and rheumatoid arthritis.

The study can be found at: www.joponline.org/doi/abs/10.1902/jop.2011.100582