Role of Bacteria in Gum Disease-induced Bone Loss in Teeth

Researchers have discovered that both good and bacteria in the mouth can contribute to bone loss induced by gum disease in the teeth.

The second-largest microbiome of the human body is present in the mouth. Some bacteria help in breaking down food and other types of bacteria can travel into the mouth to cause gum diseases.

‘Clarify the crosstalk of Good and bad bacteria in the mouth for progression of gum disease to bone loss.’

Now researchers have found that good bacteria can also induce to pull down the bone that holds teeth in place. This new concept is published in the journal Scientific Reports.

In a healthy condition, the tooth root is embedded into a socket bounded by bone. Some bacterial infections can weaken the bone supporting the teeth and consequently resulting in tooth loss. These bacteria were considered to be pathogens.

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is considered to be the main molecule that causes bone loss in these bacterial gum infections.

In a previous study, researchers have suggested that LPS cannot induce bone loss alone but with the help of prostaglandins.

On the other hand, good bacteria have been known to contribute to gum disease in the initial phases but there is no evidence to show that these bacteria can cause bone loss.

These findings indicate that there is a difference in a point where these bacterial infections outpace the body's effort to create new bone cells and cause bone loss instead.

In the case of LPS in the PGE2-deficient mice, the balance stayed in favor of bone formation but another molecule lipoteichoic acid (LTA) present in good bacteria tipped the balance towards bone loss.

To prove this finding, researchers injected mice with gum disease with LTA and found that it increased the amount of PGE2, resulting in bone loss.

They also saw that good bacteria proliferated at a higher rate than pathogenic bacteria and they preferred to occupy the depths of the teeth pockets to stay closer to the site of bone loss.

The understanding of these mechanisms will contribute to developing novel drugs for the treatment of gum disease-induced bone loss.

Source: Medindia