Link Between Periodontal Disease and Alzheimer's Dothan AL

As your partners in oral systemic health and biological dentistry, Biodentist Alabama in Dothan emphasizes advanced diagnostics and early identification of potential markers for gum disease. We understand that the mouth does not exist in isolation from the body; our range of oral bacteria testing, in turn, accurately evaluates bacteria and bacterial counts implicated in both oral disease and systemic illness. A growing body of research, for instance, traces the possible link between periodontal diseases and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Promising Research Informs Future Treatment Approaches

Findings from a series of studies conducted by an international team of researchers build upon the medical literature, which suggests a connection between gum disease and the onset and progression of cognitive decline. These discoveries, published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience and spearheaded partly by Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, explored the potential influence of Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) on the brain.

Formerly, much of the research that linked gum disease and Alzheimer’s disease explored the Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) bacteria. Pg is to blame for most gum diseases; however, F. nucleatum bacteria multiply rapidly in the presence of advanced gum disease (periodontitis).

Using mice bred to model Alzheimer’s disease, researchers found that F. nucleatum further caused immune cells in the brain to increase. This inflammatory response accelerated the progression of Alzheimer’s among animals involved in these robust studies. In fact, it was noted in the Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience journal that the animal subjects experienced reduced thinking and memory skills. Notably, these findings show, for the first time, that F. nucleatum triggers systemic inflammation and invades the tissues of the nervous system. They contend that this process then exacerbates the signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

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While promising, scientists caution that:

This new research does not suggest a direct causal relationship between the oral bacteria they studied and the development of diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Rather, they stress that F. nucleatum’s role in Alzheimer’s is to speed up the development of the disease by promoting inflammatory responses in the brain.
The above response is associated with making existing behavioral and pathological signs of Alzheimer’s worse.
Precisely how the bacteria damages brain tissue remains elusive; this study did not find traces of F. nucleatum in the brain tissue (as it has with oral spirochetes).
The study does reinforce the potential for inflammatory responses to bacteria to cross into the brain and then accelerate degeneration.
Furthermore, these findings point to two inflammatory proteins triggered by F. nucleatum, which could present the pathways that speed up the progression of brain diseases.
This understanding of how oral bacteria activate inflammation and neurodegenerative decline may one day lead to new, more effective therapies to treat individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia and cognitive conditions.

Testing for certain types of potentially harmful bacteria and pinpointing bacterial counts and imbalances between “healthy” and “unhealthy” bacteria are second nature to us. We at Biodentist Alabama have been offering such evaluations for a long time. These latest findings further validate the importance of understanding the types of oral bacteria and bacterial counts in the mouth. This information can then be used to direct therapies that further manage these pathogens. These early interventions can further manage gum disease and systemic illnesses related to periodontitis and other oral infections.

As providers of advanced oral health services, Dr. Nathan Pfister, Dr. Brian Pfister, and our team are on the front lines of “catching” the myriad oral problems that can adversely contribute to both the onset and progression of cognitive decline and diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s. Do not delay scheduling your first or next appointment at our office in Dothan, Alabama. You can reach us at (855) 939-5566. Or, for your convenience, you may request an appointment day or night from this website. We are available most days of the week.

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New Research Reinforces the Role That Healthy Gums Play in Promoting Brain Health and Fighting Alzheimer’s

Promising Research Informs Future Treatment Approaches

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Dr. Nathan Pfister

Dr. Brian Pfister

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