Getting rid of gum disease alleviates the pain of rheumatoid arthritis, shows a study in the latest Journal of Periodontology. When gum infection and inflammation was cured, researchers found that patients suffered less pain from severe arthritis, which is also an inflammatory condition. In fact, after patients improved the health of their gums, their joints were less stiff in the morning and fewer joints were swollen. One researcher concluded: “Good oral health improves the overall health of an individual.”