Can Gum Disease Lead to Dementia?
With the baby boomer generation coming of age, doctors of all specialties are treating more and more elderly patients like never before. Among the several medical issues commonly seen, there is an increase in the appearance of patients with dementia. For those who don’t understand it, dementia is a mental condition that is not fully understood, but affects a fairly large portion of people. Individuals will slip in and out of consciousness, and remember only certain parts of their life, without being selective about it. What is interesting is that recent studies have shown that there is some relation between having dementia later in life, and those who have gum disease before age 35. It is believed that those who have an early onset of any periodontal disease are increasing the possibilities of having dementia as much as 400%. Studies on Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementia related issues have revealed that there is a connection between inflammation in the teeth and gums that can also affect the brain. Not so much from the pressure, but bacteria can easily reach the brain if not an addressed in a timely manner. Another example would be between periodontal disease and heart disease; one will always affect the other. It is not clear how problems in the mouth can affect the brain, of the rest of the body, but doctors believe that when a low level infection continues to operate within the body, it can easily make its way throughout the body without being detected. It is this low dose, evasive infection that seems to be the culprit. After years of exposure, doctors are now discovering that these lingering infections will increase the possibilities of dementia and other diseases later in life. Keeping you oral hygiene under control is always a good thing, without or without the threat of dementia, so take the time to visit your family dentist in Frisco to make sure you are doing all you can to prevent associated problems from forming later on. Dr. David K. Dennison, a Houston, TX periodontist, can also help you start to take matters into your own hands. So make sure you are doing all you can to maintain the quality of life you deserve.