Regular dental treatment could improve cirrhosis severity
Dental care may help prevent liver-related complications in patients with cirrhosis, according to a news article from HealthDay.
In a study published in JHEP Reports, researchers used the 2005 to 2023 National Veterans compensated cirrhosis cohort to examine the effects of dental prophylaxis and periodontal maintenance services on decompensation, hepatocellular carcinoma and hospitalization among nearly 48,000 patients with compensated cirrhosis. They divided the patients into two groups based on the frequency of dental prophylaxis and periodontal maintenance services: regular and nonregular.
The researchers noted that 17.5% of the participants received regular dental prophylaxis and periodontal maintenance services. After a period of two years, they found that one or more visits to receive dental prophylaxis and periodontal maintenance services per year reduced the risk of ascites, hepatic encephalopathy and hepatocellular carcinoma as well as all-cause and liver-related hospitalizations but not variceal bleeding or spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.
The researchers hypothesized that reducing inflammation and pathogenic oral bacteria through regular dental care may be responsible for the benefit observed in the study. The findings indicated that receipt of regular dental cleanings could minimize cirrhosis severity and enhance clinical outcomes in this patient population.
Read more: HealthDay
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