Smoking, Sleep Linked to Gum Disease

Exercise, alcohol, tobacco, sleep, nutritional balance, mental stress, hours worked and eating breakfast all impact gum disease, says a Japanese study.

The study, published in the Journal of Periodontology, found that the top lifestyle factor that independently impacted the progression of periodontal disease was smoking.

More than 41 percent of study participants — 219 factory workers in Japan — who showed periodontal disease progression from 1999 to 2003 were current smokers.

In addition, lack of sleep was identified as a significant lifestyle factor that may play a role in the progression of periodontal disease. The participants who received seven to eight hours of sleep exhibited less periodontal disease progression than those who received six hours of sleep or less.

High stress levels and daily alcohol consumption also demonstrated a significant impact on periodontal disease progression, according to study author Muneo Tanaka of Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry.