Joseph Brownstein, MyHealthNewsDaily 

Better-smelling breath may not be the only way that treating gum disease benefits your sex life. New research says improving the gums may also improve erectile dysfunction. 

Previous studies have linked erectile dysfunction (ED) with periodontitis (inflammation of the gums), and now, a new study of patients in Turkey shows that treating periodontitis in affected patients appears to lessen the symptoms of erectile dysfunction after three months.

"To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess a potential link between the severity of ED and the treatment of periodontal disease," wrote the authors, who are affiliated with Inonu University in Malatya, Turkey. "The results revealed that the severity of ED improved following periodontal treatment."

The study involved 120 patients with severe or moderate erectile dysfunction and chronic periodontitis. Half received treatment for their gum disease, while half did not. They filled out questionnaires about their erectile function, and patients who received treatment for their gum disease reported that levels of erectile function improved after three months.

The Turkish research group is not the first to link the two conditions. Past studies in India, Israel and Taiwan have linked periodontal disease with erectile dysfunction; some authors have speculated that gum disease and erection problems share a common cause, while others have suggested that gum disease can cause erectile problems.

The new findings add weight to the idea that gum disease may cause erectile problems.

But the issue is difficult to study, and there has been no strong explanation for why gum disease could have such low-reaching effects.

"Yes, I feel that an association does exist," said Dr. Andrew Kramer, an associate professor of urology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. However, "there is nothing causal between the two," he said.

There doesn't appear to be an explanation for how tooth and gum diseases could affect nerves or blood flow to the male genitalia, Kramer said. However, there are many common denominators that may be behind the apparent link.

"I feel that the causal element is probably vascular disease, poor general health status, lack of medical attention (gum disease), underlying diabetes/hypertension, or all of the above," he said. "They are related and correlated, but due to an underlying common factor."

For their part, the authors sounded a similar note of caution in their conclusions.

"Theresults of the present study provide evidence that periodontal treatment can help to reduce ED," the authors wrote. "In addition, the findings are consistent with those of previous studies in which ED was found to be associated with low-grade inflammation caused by periodontal disease."

However, further studies should clarify exactly how the two conditions may interact, they said.

The findings have been peer-reviewed and accepted for publication in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, where they will appear in a future issue.

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By MyHealthNewsDaily

Preventing heart disease is not as easy as brushing your teeth.

While numerous studies have linked gum disease with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, there is no proof that bad gums actually cause heart disease or strokes, an American Heart Association committee said after reviewing 500 journal articles and studies.

Moreover, claims that dental treatment may prevent heart attack or stroke are unwarranted, the committee of doctors, dentists and infectious-disease researchers said in a statement.

"The message sent out by some in health care professions – that heart attack and stroke are directly linked to gum disease – can distort the facts, alarm patients and perhaps shift the focus of prevention away from well-known risk factors for these diseases," said committee member Dr. Peter Lockhart, a professor of oral medicine at the Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, N.C.

It is biologically plausible, the committee acknowledged, that oral bacteria infections could cause heart disease. Mouth bacteria can enter the bloodstream during dental procedures and tooth brushing.

However, gum disease and heart disease share many common risk factors, including cigarette smoking, age and diabetes, and these factors are more likely to explain why diseases of the blood vessels and mouth occur in tandem.

Studies that show a strong relationship between gum disease and heart disease have failed to account for these common factors, the committee said.

"Individuals who do not pay attention to the very powerful and well-proven risk factors like smoking, diabetes or high blood pressure may not pay close attention to their oral health, either," Lockhart said.

One study even found invasive dental procedures, which include some treatments for gum disease, could increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.

A large, long-term study would be needed to prove whether dental disease causes heart disease and stroke, Lockhart said. Such a study isn't likely to be done in the near future, and it's most important to let patients know "what we know now, and what we don't know," he added.

Good oral hygiene is still important for overall health, and some studies show treatment of gum disease reduces markers of inflammation in the body, the committee said.

The committee statement will be published in the journal Circulation. It was endorsed by the American Dental Association Council on Scientific Affairs and the World Heart Federation.

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