From Correlation to Causation: The Impact of Oral Pathogens on Overall Health

Healthcare is undergoing significant changes. Since COVID-19, the experience for both professionals and patients has evolved. Where patients once followed directives without much personal involvement, they are now taking an active role in their health and the type of care they receive. The concept of informed consent is being realized as patients engage more in healthcare conversations and keenly evaluate practitioner philosophies and treatment options.

Pathogens from the mouth travel systemically; which is why antibiotics were prophylactically prescribed before dental treatment when patients had artificial joints or cardiac endocarditis.  Although this was widely practiced, the extrapolation connecting oral inflammation to systemic inflammation was not fully realized beyond literature.  The oral systemic philosophy of dentistry, combined with functionally driven care, harnesses what we have known into practical applications, changing the context of what it means to have a comprehensive dental examination. 

Oral pathogen testing, such as MyPerioPath® through OralDNA® Labs, demonstrates the intimate connection between the mouth and the body. Testing takes the concept from correlative to causative, solidifying the importance of oral health care.  It allows providers to identify the presence of periodontal pathogens, which have been observed in patients with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer’s, and dementia. 

Researchers determined in 1994 that Helicobacter pylori is a causative agent of gastric cancers, since then other oral bacteria have been linked to cancers as well. Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) and Fusobacterium nucleatum (Fn) work together to disrupt the oral biome and dysregulate the immune response, leading to periodontal disease – and are also well researched as oral bacteria linked to cancer.  In a cohort study of over 400 patients and controls, those with antibodies to Pg had a greater than 2 fold increased risk of developing pancreatic cancer. Fn also has strong associations with colorectal cancer, found to be one of the more abundant organisms in and around the cancerous neoplasms.  Both bacteria have also been found in breast cancer patients as well, where they alter normal cellular growth and death cycles,  a pro-cancer environment.  

In 2016, a study by Freudenheim et al. (2016) examined 70,000 postmenopausal women and found that a history of periodontal disease increased the risk of breast cancer by 14%.  There are more examples and additional oral bacteria attributed to cancer risk as well.  Put simply, the combination of bodily dysregulation, chronic inflammation, and immune system manipulation alters the body’s ability to respond effectively, increasing the risk of cancer.

Oral pathogen testing provides the transparency and accountability that patients seek.  Integrating knowledge from oral pathogen testing enables practitioners to focus their assessments when evaluating periodontal health, revealing the patient’s true oral biome and imbalances. We can then deliver therapies that restore balance and overall health.

DMD Dental

References:

Whitmore SE, Lamont RJ. Oral bacteria and cancer. PLoS Pathog. 2014;10(3):e1003933. Published 2014 Mar 27. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1003933

Freudenheim, J.L., et al. (2016). Periodontal disease and breast cancer: prospective cohort study of postmenopausal women. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 25(1), 43-50. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-15-0750