Navigating the Oral-Gut Axis in Periodontal Patients at Risk for Inflammatory Bowel Disease
The growing body of evidence of a bi-directional association between periodontitis and inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) requires oral healthcare providers to learn about the oral-gut axis and how microbial and immune factors synergistically compound the pathogenesis of both diseases. Physical connection of the oral and intestinal mucosa provides a seamless portal of entry for the continuous translocation of ingested oral pathobionts to the digestive tract, initiating inflammatory-driven damage. We also know that a healthy gut microbiota decreases the risk for ectopic gut colonization by ingested oral pathobionts. At stake is the both the oral and systemic health of these patients.
Learning Objectives
* Describe recent evidence of the potential for translocation of oral pathobionts to the gastrointestinal tract, both directly and indirectly.
* Identify patients with signs and symptoms of IBD and stress to at risk patients the importance of following up with their physicians.
* Educate patients about the bidirectional intermucosal connection between the oral cavity and the intestinal tract, the threat periodontitis poses to gastrointestinal health, and how harmonious intestinal floras may facilitate control of periodontitis.
* Implement diagnostic, and adjunctive treatment protocols that enhance outcomes of periodontal treatment, including the most advanced periodontal recording technology, the use of hydrogen peroxide tray therapy, and intestinal probiotics with inflammatory-regulating properties.
* Begin collaborating with gastrointestinal specialists by introducing yourself through written correspondence, providing key research articles, and implementing bi-lateral point-of-care screening and cross-referral of patients.
