Dr. Mark J. Weingarden

Internal Medicine News

By Richard M. Kirkner, Internal Medicine News Digital Network  5/25/11

Recent laboratory findings from Australia have shown a strong correlation between gum disease and worsening signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, one of the lead investigators reported May 25.

During his presentation at the annual European Congress of Rheumatology, Mark Bartold, Ph.D., who is a periodontist and the director of the Colgate Dental Research Centre at the University of Adelaide (South Australia), discussed his group’s recently published study of laboratory mice with preexisting periodontitis and worsening RA. “Emerging evidence now suggests a strong relationship between the extent and severity of periodontal disease and rheumatoid arthritis,” Dr. Bartold said in an interview.

The experiments showed that mice with coexisting periodontitis and RA exhibited more severe joint inflammation than did the mice with just RA, he said.  Also, mice with both periodontitis and RA were more likely to demonstrate signs of arthritis in their rear paws, compared with mice with arthritis only.  The progress of RA in mice with both conditions followed a more rapid course than it did in mice with just RA or just periodontitis, he reported.

Gum disease and RA could be related through common underlying dysfunction of fundamental inflammatory mechanisms.  The nature of the dysfunction remains unknown, but recent scientific studies have suggested a link between the two, he said.

Although this relationship is unlikely to be casual, it is clear that individuals with advanced RA are more likely to have significant periodontal problems, compared with their nonrheumatoid counterparts.  Likewise, people with severe gingivitis are more likely to have severe RA.  Data from earlier studies have shown that individuals with RA had a 3.6-fold greater risk of moderate to severe periodontitis, and those with gum disease had a 2.2-fold greater risk of RA than did the general population.

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A Seattle Study Club Organization

Dr. Mark J. Weingarden has been director of the Pittsburgh branch of the Seattle Study Club since he formulated the club in 1993.  What does that mean to you, the patient?  It means that your dental professional has made a commitment to lifelong learning, to provide you with the best care and newest techniques currently available in dentistry.

As director of the Pittsburgh Dental Network, Dr. Weingarden spends time outside the office at monthly meetings and at a national symposium each year to keep abreast of the latest developments and treatment options available to patients.

The Pittsburgh Dental Network is often referred to as a “university without walls”.  It is recognized as one of the most advanced continuing education groups for dental professionals in the nation.  Members participate in hands-on demonstrations, problem-solving workshops, panel discussions and clinical treatment planning sessions.  PDN invites internationally known speakers to share information at local meetings, keeping Pittsburgh in the forefront of dental technology.

The Seattle Study Club is the originator and leader of the international network of over 250 affiliated clubs, including the Pittsburgh Dental Network, with a combined membership of 6,700 dentists.  For more information, visit www.seattlestudyclub.com.

If your dentist is a member of this prestigious group, you’re in good hands.