Taking care of your teeth can be a repetitive hassle. Taking care of your teeth can also be a refreshing part of a calming routine for waking up or getting ready for bed. What’s also true is that taking care of your oral health is more important to your overall health than we ever knew before.

A number of current, new studies* have found that people with poor oral hygiene or gum disease could be at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s—compared with those who have healthy teeth. The culprit at the root of this link is usually associated with chronic periodontal (gum) disease. It turns out that DNA tests prove that gingivitis and its related bacteria can travel between the mouth and the brain. 

While not a clear one-to-one, the good news out of this study is that there are things you can do yourself to delay the onset of dementia. If you have established gingivitis and a family history of Alzheimer’s, brush and use floss twice a day. Key to this also is going to the dentist regularly and having your teeth properly cleaned.

It’s not news that having a healthy mouth can add tangible years to your life. But having a greater and deeper understanding of the links between oral health and overall health reinforce what is already a great idea. Do the easy and preventive. For many people and many mouths, this is all you’ll need to stay in prime dental shape.

To a great extent, this new link between oral health and Alzheimer’s Disease is most useful to those seeking to develop new drugs to combat the onset of dementia. For the rest of us, we should just keep doing the smart thing: keep regular dentist appointments and professional cleanings. Call our office today to schedule yours!

* The University of Bergen. “Brush your teeth—postpone Alzheimer’s.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 3 June 2019.