Your oral hygiene is about more than just keeping your teeth healthy. After all, your mouth has a significant connection to the rest of your body, and problems with your teeth and gums can easily translate to health problems elsewhere. If you fail to stave off gum disease, you may even be putting yourself at an increased risk of serious cognitive disorders.
This is according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of Central Lancashire School of Medicine and Dentistry. This study demonstrated that age-related brain diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease may be directly linked to poor dental health. Researchers looked at samples of brain tissue taken from ten healthy brains and ten brains taken from people who had struggled with such diseases; in four of the brains that suffered from dementia, researchers discovered signs of a type of oral bacteria that is known to thrive in mouths afflicted with gum disease.
The specific link between gum disease and brain disorders is not well understood. It could be that poor dental health causes such disorders, or it may only be that it serves to aggravate an existing condition. One way or another, though, it is clear that your dental appointments have an important relationship with your mental health. Contact our Bellevue dentist to schedule an appointment today!
