Poor oral health can adversely affect systemic circulation and result in systemic disease. Untreated gum disease may turn into periodontitis. Periodontitis is a condition in which the inflammation and infection in the gums spread to the bone supporting the teeth. This condition results from the buildup of a sticky substance called plaque which adheres to the teeth. Bacteria form in the plaque and the result is gum inflammation. The plaque takes on the form of biofilm and consists of numerous microorganisms. Common symptoms include red, bloody and swollen gums, halitosis, tooth sensitivity and the formation of gum pockets.
Periodontitis is considered to be a
Microglial cells are the primary immune cells of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and act as a major inflammatory cell type in the brain. Their function is to find plaques and other infectious agents. Interestingly, small amounts of these microglial cells can be protective, whereas an abundance of the cells can be damaging. When the cells are providing a protective function, they clear away the plaques as well as protect the brain from toxic assaults. As we age, and as a result of certain genetic variants, microglial cells lose their ability to protect the brain. As the function of the microglial cells diminish, chronic inflammation increases. Instead of protecting the brain, the inflammatory signals cause the microglial cells to become neurotoxic and further contribute to Alzheimer’s disease.
The particular bacteria, Porphyromonas
It is thought that periodontitis increases the severity of dementia as well as accelerates cognitive decline. Studies have shown that the presence of periodontitis contributed to a
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25491073
https://www.nature.com/articles/nrmicro.2016178
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293010038
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.13711journal.pone.0151081