According to research, having advanced gum disease may increase your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.Though more studies need to be done to understand the definitive link between periodontitis and Alzheimer’s, the current research shows those with chronic gum disease for 10+ years increased their risk of developing Alzheimer’s by 70%.
Researchers have hypothesized that bacteria in the mouth due to gum disease may travel to the brain, triggering the body’s immune system to attack, which in turn kills brain cells. The diminishing number of brain cells leads to confusion and memory loss. In a recent study, researchers examined brain samples of 10 people with Alzheimer’s and 10 without; four of those with Alzheimer’s had gum disease bacteria present in their samples compared to none from the pool of non-Alzheimer’s samples.