Anglo-Irish novelist Iris Murdoch was celebrated for her sophisticated themes, wide learning, and sheer line-by-line linguistic brilliance. Her novel The Sea, The Sea won the UK’s top literary award, the Booker Prize, and she wrote more or less constantly to great critical acclaim for nearly 50 years. Her final novel, Jackson’s Dilemma, however, displayed a much-diminished talent: The characters are underdeveloped, the structure inept, and, most strikingly, the language uncharacteristically simplistic. Two years after the novel’s publication, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Some suspect the reason Jackson’s Dilemma remains so disappointing is because she’d written it after the onset of her condition, but prior to any formal diagnosis. They argue that the pathological cognitive decline characteristic of Alzheimer’s could explain the diminishment of her talent. When we see what the condition can do to even the finest of minds, we feel we must urgently ask: What causes Alzheimer’s disease? According to recent research, gum disease may play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s.
What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?
Alzheimer’s is a degenerative brain disease in which neurons—the brain cells responsible for sending information regarding moving, thinking, and speaking to the rest of the body—progressively deteriorate, resulting in severe cognitive decline. It’s the most common cause of dementia, a semi-formal term for a cluster of progressive cognitive degeneration symptoms.
Symptoms of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia include:
- Changes in language and behavior patterns
- Decline in motor skills
- Decline in reasoning and thinking skills
- Difficulty eating and swallowing
- Difficulty focusing
- Increased aggression
- Hallucinations
- Memory decline
- Paranoia
While certain medications can slow dementia-related cognitive decline and mitigate behavioral issues, there is currently no cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Treatment involves supportive care, which may eventually include the presence of a live-in professional caretaker. According to the National Institute on Aging, an estimated 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease. This means that Alzheimer’s results in serious familial, societal, and financial repercussions: In 2024, the total cost of dementia treatment in the United States was $360 billion. That number is expected to climb to at least $1.4 billion by 2060.
So what’s to be done? Some researchers suggest that it’s possible to stem the rising tide of Alzheimer’s and its attendant costs by addressing gum disease.
What Is the Connection Between Gum Disease and Alzheimer’s?
A study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease concludes that the bacteria present in diseased gums contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s. A more recent article published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association strengthened the correlation with an experiment that utilized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
Current research suggests that the connection between gum disease and Alzheimer’s is bidirectional—that is, the development of Alzheimer’s both contributes to, and potentially results from, gum disease. However, that doesn’t mean that if you have gum disease today, you’ll necessarily develop Alzheimer’s somewhere down the road. While there is a correlation between gum disease and Alzheimer’s, it’s been difficult to establish a precise cause-and-effect relationship between the two.
The idea that gum disease potentially causes Alzheimer’s is compelling, though. According to one study, gum disease likely contributes to a 95% increase in the risk of developing dementia, even in the presence of otherwise good health. Why? One theory is that bacteria from diseased gums enter the bloodstream; from there, they travel to the brain, causing inflammation and neural degeneration.
But we shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves. It’s likely that, while bacteria from gum disease contribute to the possibility of developing Alzheimer’s, other causes exist.
What Is Gum Disease?
Gum disease develops when bacteria collect along the gumline, leading to infection. Over time, it can cause inflammation and damage the gums and jawbone that support your teeth.
Common symptoms of gum disease include:
- Bleeding gums
- Persistent bad breath
- Pain when biting
Even if gum disease doesn’t telegraph Alzheimer’s, it’s still a painful condition you’ll want a professional to address.
How Do You Treat It?
At Bent Tree Dental, we treat gum disease in various ways. Your treatment may start with us taking a small swab from under your gums and sending it to a lab for testing. Once we know exactly what type of bacteria is present, we can create a treatment plan that targets your specific condition.
As gum disease progresses to periodontitis or advanced periodontitis, deeper pockets can form around the teeth, and bone loss may occur. Gum recession can also result. Addressing gum recession—which usually isn’t done until a patient has reached a more advanced state of periodontitis—may involve laser treatments to remove harmful bacteria and encourage healing.
Other treatments for gum recession may include:
- Pocket depth reduction: We gently fold back your gum tissue to thoroughly clean bacteria, tartar, and plaque from your tooth roots. Then, we reposition the gums to reduce pocket depth.
- PST™: This procedure allows us to shift your gum tissue into a healthier, more accessible position, essentially reshaping it. It is less invasive than other treatment methods.
- Soft tissue graft: We take gum tissue from another part of your mouth (or donor source) and place it over areas where your gums have receded to restore coverage and protect your teeth.
- Tissue regeneration: Following a pocket depth reduction, we may perform a bone graft to help you redevelop bone lost to gum disease.
Before developing your treatment plan, we will assess your subjective experience of gum disease. We’ll discuss with you what we see, how the disease is likely to develop, and how we can best restore you to peak oral health.
What Can I Do To Prevent It?
Of course, the old adage remains true: An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So while we’re here to help you during the advanced stages of gum disease, you should maintain proper gum health to the greatest extent possible on your own. Here are some good habits you might want to pick up if you haven’t already:
- Avoid tobacco
- Brush your teeth twice daily
- Eat healthy
- Floss daily
- Remove plaque and food particles from between your teeth
- Swish with mouthwash
And be sure to schedule regular dental cleanings at least twice a year!
Contact Bent Tree Dental Today
Alzheimer’s disease is a challenging condition that affects both patients and their loved ones. While gum disease may seem less severe, it can still impact our health in ways we least expect. Researchers continue to study the connection between the two conditions, but what’s certain is that gum disease can be treated. You deserve a healthy smile and the confidence that comes with it.
Contact us for a free consultation today. We will discuss your gum disease treatment options and develop a plan custom-suited to you.
