How Your Teeth Can Give You Alzheimer’s

Poor oral hygiene can give you worse problems than cavities, including Alzheimer’s.

By Neena Samuel
From Reader's Digest
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Dental Hygiene and Alzheimer's
How you treat your teeth can affect your brain.
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We used to think root canals were bad. Then we learned that poor oral hygiene can cause everything from heart problems to diabetes.*

Now more news: The state of your teeth may affect your mind too. Over ten years, doctors at the University of Kentucky tested 144 nuns ages 75 to 98 on memory and everyday functioning, and analyzed dental records.

Those with fewer than ten teeth at the start were more likely to develop dementia. Why? It may be due to inflammation or nutritional deficiencies, infection or childhood diseases (which could affect the developing brain and lead to dental problems). More research is needed, but keep this study in mind next time you're "too busy" to floss. In other news, a blood test with a 90% accuracy rate may one day predict Alzheimer's. The test also predicted who would get sick more than two years before diagnosis.

*"This Won't Hurt a Bit," 9/07; "How Your Dentist Can Save Your Life," 12/05
From Reader's Digest - January 2008
 
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