If you need another strong reason to start losing extra pounds you may be carrying? Here’s one – Obese men, besides the extra weight, also have a greater risk for painful, potentially dangerous gum disease and problems than those with better BMI’s according to a new study.

You’ve most likely heard of the relatively mild and usually reversible form of gum disease – gingivitis. This is where only the gums are affected. However, if left untreated, this can escalate to periodontitis where bacteria in the plaque provoke an inflammatory response that can be very destructive.

As a silently progressing condition, periodontal disease often doesn’t show symptoms until it has a firm foothold in your mouth.

In this latest work, researchers looked at data for nearly 37,000 men who were part of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS) that began in 1986.

The program was created to compliment the all-female Nurses’ Health Study and looked at the connection between nutritional and the incidence of serious conditions like cancer, heart disease and vascular problems.

A lot of work has already been invested in determining the risk between gum disease and cardiovascular risk.

To see if there might be a connection between periodontal disease and obesity, the team analyzed data spanning 16 years for the subjects, all of whom were free of gum disease at the start of the study.

Information on height, weight, waist/hip measurements was gathered as well as self-reported gum problems. Using the universal definition of obesity, a BMI of 30 of higher, Monik Jimenez, a doctoral candidate at the Harvard School of Public Health, discovered that obesity was linked to an increased risk of periodontal disease.

Jimenez will present the findings at the International Association for Dental Research general session.

Not only higher BMI’s, but waist circumferences were also linked to a higher risk of gum disease. A waist measurement of 40 inches or more, considered a risk for heart disease, increased the risk of gum disease by 19%, when compared to those with measurements under 40-inches.

“Obesity was associated with a 29 percent increased risk of periodontal disease over the course of the study.” Jimenez said.

There was a minor increase in risk of periodontal disease for those who were just overweight, but not obese. This did not come close to the risk for those carrying a lot of extra weight.

In a related work, researchers at the University of Puerto Rico found that a higher waist-hip ratio (WHR) was linked to a higher risk of moderately severe gum disease in both men and women over 70-years old.

In women, an elevated waist-to-hip ratio is .88 or above; for men it’s .95 or higher. Here’s how the calculation is made, a woman with a 36-inch waist and 40-inch hips has a WHR of .90 (36/40 = .90). Subjects with elevated waist-to-hip ratios were almost six times more likely to have periodontal disease.

This work builds on earlier studies that associate gum disease with heart disease, as well as gum disease and cancer risk in males. Gum disease for diabetics is also known to be worse.

Concerned for your own gums?

Your own health?

A good approach to keeping your mouth healthy is to choose a heart healthy diet that’s also beneficial for your gums, brush and clean between your teeth several times each day, and don’t put off regular dental check-ups.

Caught early, periodontal disease can be treated – so you don’t have to lose a tooth.

You might also want to consider the online risk assessment tools available to find out where you stand today. If you have symptoms of gum problems a visit to your dentist is in order to keep your mouth, and your whole body, healthy.

Next – Just head on over to the Daily Health Bulletin for more information on obesity and gum disease, plus for a limited time get 5 free fantastic health reports. Click here for the video of the link between obesity and gum problems.