Good Oral Hygiene May Prevent Dementia & Alzheimer
A study has found our that poor oral hygiene can increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and dementia. Researchers have discovered that people suffering from dementia have bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis in their brain. The bacteria is commonly associated with chronic periodontal (gum) disease.
In their study they have realized that the bacteria, when reaches the brain, can trigger an immune system response, just like they do in the mouth. This immune response is killing brain cells. This is the mechanism that leads to the changes in the brain, causing symptoms like confusion, short- term memory loss, just like in Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s disease
Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia. It is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects their cognitive ability and psychiatric health. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disorder that attacks the brain cells, the neurons, that results in memory loss, poor language skills and behavioral changes.
Alzheimer’s is a complex brain disorder which can be diagnosed after several lab tests and brain scans. The doctors might even go through a detailed medical history, and neurological tests to determine the cognitive skills.
AD has many symptoms, some of which start showing early. The first symptom is memory loss that disrupts life and causes difficulty with simple problem solving. Confusion in time and place, the inability to communicate and difficulty in performing everyday task like bathing, brushing teeth or getting dressed. Patients with Alzheimers can also face some psychiatric changes and start suffering from depression, changes in personality, agitation and hallucinations.
Periodontal disease is a low- grade, inflammatory disease. It occurs in the presence of the pathogenic bacteria that can cause gingivitis inflammation, bone loss and if left untreated tooth loss. The problem with periodontal disease is that it cannot be identified on its own. People who do not visit the dentist cannot find out about the problem until very late.
Most common way in which the microbes reach the brain is through the bloodstream. The periodontal bacteria is release into the bloodstream during chewing and flossing and even during the dental treatment. The bacteria can then remain in the bloodstream for at least three hours. In older adults it is more risky as the bacteria can remain in the periodontal pockets and keep getting into the bloodstream.
Other than periodontal disease, oral infections after the age of 65 can also lead to dementia. With age, the infections become common. Like the oral herpes. The herpes virus is latent in the peripheral nervous system and can be activated by high stress, illness and fatigue. This decreases the body’s ability to fight infection. There is a strong correlation between the HSV and AD.
Today people pay more attention to their oral health than our previous generations. They understand the importance of oral health and spend more time in taking care of it. However, contrary to it, people in this age have increased health issues like depression, high blood pressure and heart diseases. People who suffer from arthritis, poor vision, problem in moving can have difficulty in maintaining their oral health too. This contributes to chronic oral infections, deeper periodontal pockets and even tooth loss. As the ability to chew is compromised so is the diet and they start suffering from even nutritional deficiencies.
It is important to educate Alzheimer’s patients about the tools that can help them with good oral hygiene habits. As the dementia progresses patients need to be shown how to do the simple tasks. However the condition has been linked to the old people only. If it effects healthy people or not is yet to be concluded. The researchers continue with the finding the link between the Alzheimer’s and the dental records to finally come to a conclusion.
It is an undeniable fact that you have to take care of the teeth. You can get an appointment with cosmetic dentist in Delhi and eradicate any possibilities of getting a serious problem later in life.
There are different types of cosmetic dentistry like teeth whitening, dental veneers, dental crowns, and dental implants. If treated in time, the bacteria can be prevented from transferring to the bloodstream and affecting the brain. Though Alzheimer’s can be caused due to various reasons, it is better too take precaution at an early age.
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