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Phrases such as “economic downturn,” “recession,” “harsh economic climate,” and “financial uncertainty” have become commonplace in headlines across the United States. Although investment and consumer woes continue to affect the housing, auto, financial, and job markets, one investment remains sound—the investment in oral health.

The economic crisis is sure to evoke stress. In fact, surveys from the American Psychological Association (APA) released last fall showed that nearly half of Americans said they were more stressed than a year earlier, with one-third rating their stress level as “extreme.” The APA also reported that more than 80 percent of Americans ranked “money” and “the economy” as significant causes of stress. And while chronic stress can lead to a host of health problems, including a weakened immune system and increased blood pressure, it also can take a toll on periodontal health. The correlation between oral and systemic health means that untreated periodontal disease may result in even more serious—and potentially expensive—overall health complications.

A study published in the February 2009 Journal of Periodontology (JOP) confirmed that stress can interfere with oral hygiene. In the study, 56 percent of participants self-reported that stress led them to neglect regular brushing and flossing. In addition, the study found that the hormone cortisol may play a role in the connection between stress and gum disease. Chronic stress is associated with higher and more prolonged levels of cortisol; previous research has shown that increased amounts of cortisol in the bloodstream can lead to a more destructive form of periodontal disease.

Another study published in JOP (December 2007) found that preventing periodontal disease may be one way to help lower total health care expenses. In the study, patients with severe periodontal disease had 21 percent higher health care costs than those subjects with no periodontal disease. Since additional research has shown that periodontal disease may lead to other serious health conditions, striving to maintain oral health may help to keep patients from incurring additional health care expenses, which ultimately would help to reduce total health care costs.

Featured in AGD Impact, March 2009

Posted on Monday, March 16, 2009