Poor gum health and dementia may be related.

As people age, certain illnesses become more common.

One such illness is dementia.

Although many seniors have dementia, not all elderly develop this problem with their cognitive functioning.

Nevertheless, it is important to know if there are any habits or personal practices we can curb, begin, or continue to avoid or mitigate dementia.

According to a recent The New York Post article titled “There’s a disturbing new link between gum disease and dementia,” much research has been conducted on various factors that contribute to the development of dementia.

Gum disease has been correlated to the development of dementia.

A recent blog post underscored the connection between processed meat and this illness.

This article from the The New York Post highlights a correlation between gum disease and dementia.

A recent study found that the bacteria known to cause gingivitis can metastasize from the mouth into the brain.

The study specifically shows a connection between the imbalanced bacteria found under the gum line and a cerebrospinal fluid known to be a biomarker for Alzheimer’s disease.

In the past, studies showed a connection between amyloid proteins building up in cerebral arteries and cognitive decline.

Researchers now hypothesize that this amyloid buildup causes dementia when gum disease prevents the discharging of the enzymes from the brain.

The researchers took gum swabs and samples of cerebrospinal fluid from 48 healthy volunteers over age 65.

This population is of particularly high risk for both gum disease and dementia.

The results?

Those with more good bacteria in their mouths had lower levels of the amyloid.

These individuals also had a reduced risk of developing dementia.

The next step of the research will be to conduct clinical trials to determine whether deep cleaning teeth can help prevent the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

What can you do to help yourself?

For starters, flossing and brushing your teeth for two minutes twice a day can decrease your levels of “cerebral plaque” is a small price to pay to help keep dementia at bay.

It seems dental health is important to your overall health.

Reference: New York Post (April 12, 2021) “There’s a disturbing new link between gum disease and dementia”