Already hailed for its value in warding off heart attacks, the common, household aspirin also may help guard against severe periodontal disease.
In the first study of its kind, Australian researchers found that men who were ex- or non-smokers and taking low doses of aspirin to prevent heart attacks, strokes and other vascular diseases also had significantly better periodontal health than those who didn’t take aspirin.
Drs. Arthur Drouganis and Robert Hirsch of the Adelaide University dental school investigated the oral health of 392 men, all of them former smokers or nonsmokers. Men aged 50 years and older who were taking low daily doses of aspirin (100 milligrams) had healthier gums, the study showed.
Researchers said men were tested exclusively because periodontal health in older women can be affected by hormonal changes. They said, too, that aspirin appears to benefit only those with periodontitis, not gingivitis.
"People might think that if they have bleeding gums, the most common symptom of [gingivitis], they might benefit from taking aspirin. They certainly wouldn’t," said Dr. Drouganis.
He said only those with "a history of severe gum disease" could benefit from low-dose aspirin.
The Australian study suggests that aspirin may fight periodontitis by protecting the fibers and ligaments around the teeth, possibly because aspirin inhibits the action of prosta-glandin E2, a chemical messenger that triggers bone loss from periodontitis.
