Healthy molars, healthy mind.
If oral hygiene was not already important enough, brushing your teeth could help maintain mental health – along with dental health.
A recent study found a correlation between gum disease and dementia and other brain diseases, the Daily Mail reported. Previous studies have found that bacteria-causing gingivitis can metastasize from the mouth to the brain.
“This is the first study to show an association between the unbalanced bacterial community found below the gingival line and a biomarker of cerebrospinal fluid in Alzheimer’s disease in cognitively elderly adults,” said Dr. Angela Kamer of the NYU School of Dentistry. . She is the author of the study of the brain published in Alzheimer’s and dementia: diagnosis, evaluation and monitoring of diseases.
Previous studies had established a link between amyloid protein accumulation in cerebral arteries and cognitive decline. However, researchers have yet to identify how that amyloid buildup causes the disease, which they now theorize could occur when gum disease prevents the body from eliminating these interloping enzymes from the brain.
The researchers tried to demonstrate the link between dental and mental health by taking both gum swabs and cerebrospinal fluid samples from 48 healthy volunteers over the age of 65. People in this age group face a high risk of both dementia and gum disease – a warning story for the notorious millennia averse to the dentist.
They then measured the amounts of good and bad oral flora and found that individuals with more beneficial oral microbes had lower levels of amyloid. In turn, these individuals were less likely to contract dementia.
“We found that having evidence for brain amyloid was associated with harmful harmful high and low bacteria,” said Dr. Kamer. Our results show the importance of the general oral microbiome – not only the role of “bad” bacteria, but also “good” bacteria – in modulating amyloid levels. ”
The next step is to establish clinical trials to determine if deep cleaning teeth can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
In the meantime, you can reduce “brain plaque” levels by brushing your teeth for two minutes twice a day with a soft bristle brush, according to the American Dental Association.
This is not the first study to link oral hygiene to general health. The researchers said that harmful pathogens in the mouth can increase the likelihood of anything from cancer to heart disease and even death due to COVID-19.