Prolonged Steroid Use Leads to Long Island Gum Disease

Gingival overgrowth is a condition where the gingival tissues become swollen and grow over the teeth. This overgrowth creates an environment for bacteria to grow and result in periodontal disease. This is one of those conditions where Americans may want to take extra measures to prevent. Now, after the publication of a recent article in the Journal of Periodontology patients may want to rethink prolonged use of anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) in their treatment plans.

Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are an integral part of many American’s therapeutic treatment plan for various illnesses; to name a few these includes asthma, chronic pulmonary disorders, severe bronchitis and more. However beneficial this medication may be researchers have found that abuse of AAS medications comes with an increased risk of Long Island gum disease.

In this study 24 athletes between the ages of 17 and 29 who had been using AAS for more than one year were observed. All subjects were examined for plaque levels, gingival inflammation and gingival enlargement and then compared with a control group of 20 bodybuilders who had never used AAS drugs.

The study showed that prolonged use of AAS medications did in fact lead to gingival enlargement, also called inflammatory enlargement of the gums. Additionally the study indicated that patients using anabolic androgenic steroids appropriately and under a doctor’s care were less likely to develop gingival overgrowth, indicating that AAS abuse was a leading cause in the changes to gingival tissue.

It is common for anabolic androgenic steroids to be used as a therapeutic treatment method. If you are one of those patients that require long term use discuss the increased risks of Long Island gum disease with your doctor. If you need a Periodontist who offers alternative treatment methods contact Dr. Scharf. He treats gum disease with a laser, not a scalpel, giving patients an alternative to gum surgery. Call Dr. Scharf at 631-661-6633 or visit him on the web at http://drscharf.com.