A new device for early detection of gum disease

Researchers at the University of Birmingham are developing a rapid test for gum disease and expect the technology — a probe for use in healthcare settings such as dental offices or pharmacies — to play a key role in the early detection of heart and lung disease, type 2 diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

Gum disease (periodontal disease) is caused by gum infection and is the leading cause of tooth loss. It becomes more common with age, and 50% of 60-year-olds will have at least a mild form of periodontal disease.

However, without treatment gum disease also has widespread and serious effects on the rest of the body, where it correlates with the inflammatory response that affects the course of the disease in other conditions.

With type 2 diabetes, it increases the risk of heart failure, Art Cardiovascular disease it increases the risk of stroke or heart failure, Art rheumatoid arthritis it increases the severity of the disease, as well as in emphysema (also known as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD), this increases the risk of irreversible changes in the severity of the disease.

For people with such diseases, early detection and treatment of gum disease is a priority.

Gum disease is usually detected in the dentist’s chair when hygienists or dentists look for indicators such as tooth movement, sensitivity, bleeding, or swollen gums.

Professor Tim Albrecht from the University’s School of Chemistry and Dr. Melissa Grant from the School of Dentistry have developed a new technique that could provide a quick and accurate assessment of both the presence and extent of gum disease from a saliva sample that can be taken at any healthcare facility.

Their method consists of a specialized probe and detector that provides quantitative measurement of biomarkers that indicate both the presence and severity of gum disease. A panel of biomarkers was identified and validated by a team of researchers from the University’s Periodontal Study Group and published earlier this year in Journal of Clinical Periodontology.

Professor Albrecht says they “believe the device we are developing will be the first dental probe that can identify periodontal diseases in this way. It quickly and easily detects periodontitis in various medical institutions, opening opportunities for monitoring and early intervention in patients with co-morbidities who would benefit most from prompt treatment of periodontitis.’

Dr. Grant says that “the ability to detect and profile biomarkers of disease in real time will enable monitoring of disease severity, and in particular the transition between milder and more severe forms of gum disease. This will not only benefit dental health, but also reduce costs and capture patients , for whom periodontal treatment can save lives in the long run.”

In the long term, they hope to develop a probe that is small enough to be inserted into the space between the gums and teeth, allowing dentists to collect fluid from specific areas in the mouth and pinpoint the site of infection.