Your Gums and Pulmonary Diseases: The Connection

Lung diseases can be severely disabling and debilitating. In fact, two pulmonary diseases, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and pneumonia, are among the leading causes of death in the United States.

A new study of 200 participants suggests that periodontal disease, a chronic inflammatory disease that affects gum tissue and other structures supporting the teeth, adversely affects the respiratory system.

Researchers suspect that the presence of oral pathogens may increase a patient's risk of developing problematic respiratory disease.