Brushing and flossing may be a normal part of your daily routine but what if I told you that having a disease free mouth may decrease your chances of getting Alzheimer’s disease for years to come. Recent studies have shown that the bacteria that causes gum disease is also found in the brain of patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia. Some studies even show that the risk of having Alzheimer’s disease doubles when gum disease is present.
A type of bacteria called P. gingivalis is one of the primary bacteria found in patient’s mouths with gum disease. This is the same bacteria that has been found in the brains of an Alzheimer’s patients. Periodontal disease also know as gum disease is an inflammatory disease of the gum tissue and bone surrounding the teeth. Numerous studies have shown that Alzheimer’s and Dementia are also inflammatory diseases of the nerves in the brain. Bacteria from gum disease can travel from the mouth into the blood stream and then to the brain which can possibly lead to inflammatory diseases of the brain.
Of course, not every patient that has gum disease will have Alzheimer’s and not every patient that has Alzheimer’s will have gum disease.
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