Soft gums are more prone to inflammation

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The area of tissue surrounding our teeth is known as the gum, and healthy teeth are firmly anchored in the gums thanks to the many gingival fibers that connect the tooth to the gum. The gum contains fibroblasts, cells that contribute to the formation of connective tissue. A group of scientists from Tohoku University has discovered that gum stiffness influences the properties of gingival fibroblasts, which in turn affects the likelihood of inflammation and hinders the formation of gingival fibers.

“We found that soft gums cause inflammation and make it difficult for gingival fibers to develop,” says Associate Professor Masahiro Yamada from the Faculty of Dentistry at Tohoku University. It has long been known that people with thick or rigid gums are less susceptible to gum recession, where the gum begins to recede and exposes the root of the tooth. Many factors can lead to gum recession, such as gum disease, excessive brushing, and chewing tobacco. However, this is the first time that gum stiffness has been linked to biological reactions. Although fibroblasts play a key role in maintaining, repairing, and healing the gum, they also produce various inflammatory biomolecules and tissue-degrading enzymes that break down gingival fibers. Additionally, fibroblasts are associated with immune responses to pathogens. Yamada, along with his colleague Professor Hiroshi Egusa, also from the Faculty of Dentistry at Tohoku University, created an artificial culture environment that simulated soft or hard gums and grew human gingival fibroblasts in them. They found that simulated hard gum stiffness activated an intracellular anti-inflammatory system in the gingival fibroblasts, preventing inflammation. However, simulated soft gum stiffness suppressed the fibroblastic anti-inflammatory system. This increased the likelihood of inflammation and resulted in reduced collagen synthesis.

“Our research is the first to demonstrate the biological mechanisms at play regarding a patient’s gingival properties,” adds Yamada. “It is expected that these findings will accelerate the development of advanced biomaterials to control local inflammation or microdevices that simulate the microenvironment of inflammatory conditions.”