It’s well-understood that gum disease can have wide-reaching effects on your general bodily health. For people struggling with Alzheimer’s disease, gum disease may even speed up their cognitive decline. This is according to a number of scientific studies, which found that Alzheimer’s patients suffering from gum disease exhibit worse symptoms compared to those who have healthy gums. The conclusions of one study were that gum disease can make the decline of an Alzheimer’s patient as much as six times faster. Other studies have also indicated that gum disease may increase one’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
It is thought that this happens because gum disease increases your body’s inflammatory response. When the blood vessels in your brain become inflamed, it is less able to combat the degenerative agents at work in your delicate neural tissues.
To make matters worse, those with Alzheimer’s disease are at an increased risk of developing gum disease. This is largely because the condition makes one less likely to practice proper oral hygiene. They can therefore get trapped in a vicious cycle, with their mental and dental degeneration both aggravating each other.
If you or someone you know is at risk of Alzheimer’s disease, talk to our Lynnwood dentistry clinic. You just might be sparing yourself an unfortunate cognitive disease.
