Study liver inflammation (NASH) and periodontitis

Dental Tribune UK & Ireland

Wed. 1 February 2023

save

HAMBURG, Germany: Periodontal health can contribute to systemic conditions; recent research has found evidence about the links between gum disease and chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. A pilot study now suggests that non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) might be associated with periodontitis. The study also suggests regular dental care might mitigate the course of NASH.

Researchers from the departments of medicine, periodontics, preventative and restorative dentistry at University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendor and the German Center for Infection Research investigated the association in a well-defined cohort.

Amongst the findings, liver stiffness was found to be increased with the severity of periodontitis. This finding, also positively correlated with key increasing periodontitis markers such as bleeding on probing and probing pocket depth. Researchers suggest the findings indicate patients need to be reminded of the importance of regular dental visits.

Data of 132 patients (including 32 patients with NASH) were examined for detailed periodontal parameters, and were correlated with relevant hepatic parameters, such as liver stiffness. Researchers found that 87.5% of NASH patients, compared with 47% of the control group, suffered from moderate and severe periodontitis. Liver stiffness was significantly correlated with elevated pocket probing depths and bleeding on probing.

Furthermore, 34% of the NASH patients examined did not make use of regular dental care. In these patients, alanine transaminase (ALT), model of endstage liver disease and liver stiffness were significantly elevated compared with those who see a dentist regularly.

Dr Sulaman Anwar, a UK specialist periodontist and implant surgeon, spoke with Dental Tribune UK about the study: “The link between periodontitis and systemic health has been thoroughly researched and is constantly being updated. There is already a confirmed link between a patient’s diabetic status and their periodontal health. Strong evidence linking obesity and periodontitis also exists. This recently published pilot study focuses on the liver and highlights an association between non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and periodontitis.”

Dr Anwar continued: “It should be noted that the study does not determine with certainty whether there is a causal relationship between periodontitis and NASH or whether the common variable linking the presence of periodontitis and NASH is simply an overall reduced health awareness in these patients. The authors agree do agree that these are preliminary findings and large scale follow up research is required to further prove and validate the association that untreated periodontitis could worsen the course of NASH. However, this medical study once again highlights the need for proactive monitoring and treatment of a hepatic patient’s periodontal health but potentially also for a periodontitis patient’s referral for further investigation and testing of their liver status.”

The study, titled “High prevalence of periodontal disease in patients with NASH-possible association of poor dental health with NASH severity" was published online on 23 January 2023 in the Annals of Hepatology.

Tags:

To post a reply please login or register

Soft drinks—crucial link between obesity and tooth wear

LONDON, UK: The premature wearing of teeth due to dietary or gastric acids is the third most common dental condition after caries and periodontal disease. A...

Gingival stiffness affects susceptibility to inflammation, according to new study

SENDAI, Japan: Researchers have discovered that soft gingiva hinders the development of gingiva fibroblasts. A study conducted at the Tohoku University in ...

Periodontitis could increase stroke risk, new study says

BELÉM, Brazil/RUGBY, UK: A recent study has investigated the association between stroke and periodontitis, one of the most common human diseases affecting ...

Alerting patients to disease risk improves dental hygiene and oral inflammation, study finds

LONDON, UK: As dentistry becomes more technologically advanced, the importance of having an informed patient continues to grow. With this in mind, a new ...

Research to examine possible links between periodontal disease and oral cancer

PLYMOUTH, UK: As worldwide oral cancer rates continue to climb, our understanding of what causes the disease to occur, thankfully, also continues to grow. ...

New study links poor toothbrushing habits to heart disease

CHICAGO, US/LONDON, UK: A new study presented during the 2018 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions held recently has suggested that brushing ...

Interview: “The link between oral disease and oxidative stress is still not that widely known”

Dr Lenka Banasova runs her own dental centre, Pearl Dental, in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava, where she has a passionate staff of dentists, dental ...

Study confirms CBT to be successful in reducing dental phobia

LONDON, UK: The latest government figures estimate that one in ten people in the UK suffer from dental anxiety. New research from King’s College ...

Study links tooth growth patterns to smoking history

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, England: The systematic and oral health effects of smoking are well established, including reduced calcium absorption, altered vitamin ...

Barts study on severe periodontitis reveals looming crisis

LONDON, UK: Figures by the National Health Service indicate that at least one in 15 adults in the UK currently suffers from the most severe form of ...

Education

Live webinar
Tue. 23 September 2025
3:00 pm UTC (London)