Can Gingivitis cause Alzheimer’s
Understanding Alzheimer’s is a hot topic currently in the scientific world. There are new advancements that have suggested that even lifestyle, to plain old genetics, can factor into this cognitive decline. Despite constant investigation ad clinical trials, there are still no new surefire causes for it. While there is still new research coming about, one area that you may want to check are, of course, your gums and teeth. When people think about dementia and Alzheimer’s, they don’t’ think about the health of their teeth. However, research over the last few years suggests that advanced periodontitis, might not just be associated with Alzheimer’s, but it may be the root cause for it.
It has been discussed as genetic for the longest time, or lifestyle inevitability, but what if it’s an infectious issue instead.
While Alzheimer’s has been researched for years, current treatment is ineffective, and some have adverse effects, so we don’t’ understand the cause. The lack of efficacy is potentially due to current research looking for links instead of causation. Many drugs on the market are used to treat symptoms, but not the disease itself, and really, this is just discovering the foundational reasons for Alzheimer’s, which is better than mere treatment of side effects.
Scientists have investigated the gingivalis as a possible causative agent. The pathogen is known to trigger this, cause gingivitis is in its early stages.doctors have found Alzheimer’s patients have a much higher rate of this and advanced periodontal disease than others. Researchers have found uncommonly high numbers of proteins in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s that fit this. These proteins react with the amyloid beta proteins and toxic enzymes to form the amyloid plaques, and the insoluble plaque creates inflammation, destroying brain cells, which leads to Alzheimer’s symptoms. But how does it get to the brain? The answer is the spinal fluid, where the bacteria that causes this sneaks in.
missing teeth may also be another pathway, and dementia rates rise when there are more teeth lost. Tooth loss is a result of periodontal disease, which is where the connection is there.
At least one study has found that people with the least teeth are at the greatest risk for this. Periodontitis, or gum disease, causes a ton of inflammation, and the scientists have linked this to inflammation of the brain. This from there easily travels to the brain and it builds there. It then injures the neurons, increasing the inflammation in the brain.the inflammation, in turn, causes dementia in patients.
These toxins are starting to become more focused for many people, and many times, another study found that inhibiting the gingipains in the brains will reduce the neuroinflammation, and it reduced the existing brain infection, so there is a link thee.
However, it’s not totally fully recognized in that way. Regardless though, there is a lot that you can do in order to help prevent this, and you should see a dentist if you are concerned about this problem as well.
