Correlation between Periodontal Disease and Low Testosterone in Men
When you go to the dentist and get a report not only on the health of your teeth but the health of your gums. The hygienist typically tells you that all is fine or you have some level of a problem that needs to be addressed. You might have to step up your home care, which is usually part of the problem, or you may need special help like a deep cleaning or even possibly periodontal surgery to correct the situation.
But what if you have a systemic problem that is making the situation worse? For example, diabetics have a much more difficult time with other parts of their bodies, and the gum health is definitely one the affected areas. Some forms of leukemia can also wreak havoc on the gums.
There are some studies suggesting that low testosterone can cause periodontal disease. Some of these studies started by studying macaques, a close primate relative to man. In these studies, jaws of castrated and non-castrated male monkeys were compared. The results in these macaques that died naturally were that the castrated monkeys with no testosterone showed much bone loss around their teeth as compared to the non-castrated pool. Of course this is a different species, but it does provide researchers an idea for something to research.
These sorts of findings are not that far fetched. For example, there are studies that correlate gum disease and heart disease. These studies are not necessarily conclusive, but it was interesting enough to make the front cover of Time magazine a decade ago.
So, for men with low testosterone, maybe they should make sure visit they visit the dentist if they haven’t in a while, and vice versa, males with significant periodontal disease may need to see a medical doctor about the testosterone levels.