Study Finds Poor Dental Hygiene Can Lead to Arthritis

A new study published in the journal PLOS Pathogens identified a link between rheumatoid arthritis and poor dental hygiene. When arthritic mice were infected with the gum disease bacterium, P. gingivalis, they manifested more severe symptoms of arthritis including a significant increase in bone and cartilage destruction. Previous studies have also found that gum disease is twice as common in patients suffering from arthritis. Click here for the full article.