Patients with gum disease may face double the risk of developing atopic dermatitis, the chronic skin condition often referred to as eczema that causes red, itchy skin. The study was recently published in Public Library of Science (PLOS) One.
Regular dental scaling was associated with a dramatic reduction in the risk of patients with periodontitis developing eczema, the authors wrote.
“Maintaining regular DS may serve as a modifiable preventive strategy to mitigate the risk of AD (atopic dermatitis) in individuals affected by periodontitis,” wrote the authors, led by Chien-Chang Liao of Taipei Medical University Hospital in Taiwan (PLOS One, October 15, 2025, Vol. 20:10, e033877).
Past research has shown that adults with atopic dermatitis may face a higher risk of poor oral health and dysbiosis. Furthermore, atopic dermatitis may be linked to higher plaque and gingival index scores and an abundance of bacteria linked to periodontal disease, according to a study recently published in the International Dental Journal.
Although atopic dermatitis and gum disease are common chronic inflammatory diseases, their correlation remains poorly understood. Therefore, to explore the effects of dental scaling on the risk of eczema among patients with periodontitis, a retrospective cohort study using health insurance data from those age 20 and older with periodontitis was conducted. The data included 38,934 patients with gum disease and 38,934 without periodontitis.
The patients were followed until the end of 2017 to monitor atopic dermatitis incidence. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for atopic dermatitis risk linked to periodontitis were estimated using multivariate regressions, according to the study.
Patients with gum disease had a 2.4-fold (HR, 2.47; 95% CI, 2.25 to 2.71) increased risk of developing atopic dermatitis compared with those without periodontitis. Periodontitis was linked to atopic dermatitis across genders and age groups.
Furthermore, patients with periodontitis who received dental scaling experienced a 67% reduction in the risk of developing eczema (HR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.30 to 0.37). Additionally, the risk of atopic dermatitis was lowest in those with gum disease who underwent dental scaling more than four times (HR, 0.14; 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.25), the authors wrote.
Nevertheless, the study had some limitations. Researchers used insurance data that didn’t report information about lifestyle, health behaviors, dietary factors, and physical activity, making it difficult to investigate their oral hygiene habits, like frequency of toothbrushing, they wrote.
“In conclusion, our study revealed a significant association between periodontitis and increased risk of atopic dermatitis,” Liao and colleagues wrote.
