Men with periodontitis are at higher risk of developing erectile dysfunction, according to research published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology (“Chronic periodontitis is associated with erectile dysfunction. A case–control study in European population“).
Effective tooth brushing, combined with good oral hygiene, may help prevent this type of male sexual dysfunction.
Researchers from the Departments of Surgery and Dentistry at the University of Granada (UGR) in Spain conducted the study on a sample of 80 patients treated for erectile dysfunction at the Granada Health Sciences Technology Park and an additional 78 as a control sample. Participants provided sociodemographic and demographic information, underwent periodontal examination, and were tested for testosterone levels, lipid profile, C-reactive protein, blood glucose levels, and glycosylated hemoglobin.
The researchers found that 74% of patients with erectile dysfunction had signs of periodontitis. In fact, those with the most severe erectile dysfunction had the worst periodontal damage, and those with periodontitis were 2.28 times more likely to have erectile dysfunction than those with healthy gums. The biochemical variables associated with erectile dysfunction were triglycerides, C-reactive protein, and glycosylated hemoglobin.
Erectile dysfunction is defined as the inability of a man to achieve an erection, due to physical or psychological factors or a combination of both. Periodontitis, on the other hand, is a form of advanced gum disease where the gums recede, the teeth gradually lose their support and eventually fall out. If left untreated, periodontitis can eventually lead to tooth loss. The bacteria of periodontitis or the inflammatory cytokines contained in the infected gums damage the endothelial cells of the vessels. When this endothelial dysfunction occurs in the blood vessels of the penis, blood flow is adversely affected, leading to impotence.
The study, the first of its kind in a European population, was part of the doctoral thesis of dentist Amada Martín Amat and supervisors Francisco Mesa (Dentistry) and Miguel Arrabal (Urology).
