alzheimer’s disease

Collaboration Cures 2024: A Three-Day Convergence of Knowledge and Innovation

Posted on by Anne O. Rice
Collaboration Cures for 2024 promises an enriching three-day event filled with education and dialogue, featuring an array of distinguished talents. This year's lineup is particularly exciting, with the inclusion of Patrick McKeown, a renowned expert in his field. As my knowledge grows with the Buteyko breathing method and am becoming a certified practitioner, the discussions around airway and breathing are energizing. Pediatrics is going to be highly represented with talks about sleep, myofu...
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The Mouth-Mind Connection: How Oral Health Influences Brain Health: Part 2

Posted on by Katie Lee DDS
Last week, in Part 1, we explored the significant connection between oral health and brain health, highlighting how bacteria in the mouth can contribute to diseases like dementia, and outlined the three main types of dementia: Alzheimer's, vascular dementia, and Parkinson's. This week, in Part 2, we will delve deeper into the demographic that is most affected by dementia and strategies for prevention. Why Are Elderly Most Affected? As a patient’s cognitive ability declines, so does their ora...
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The Mouth-Mind Connection: How Oral Health Influences Brain Health: Part 1

Posted on by Katie Lee DDS
The mind and the mouth are more connected than you might have thought, but hey, they are only a few inches away from one another. As we’ve talked about with previous diseases and conditions, our oral health is directly connected (through all those annoying bacteria) to the overall health of our bodies. And in the case of our brains, this means the bacteria in our mouths can significantly contribute to one of the most devastating diseases, dementia. Better oral health equals less bacteria, whi...
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How do you speak Dementia/Brain Health and Periodontal Disease with your patients?

Posted on by Steven Ritzi DDS
Dr. McGlennen: Concerning dementia and brain health, recent medical studies point to poor oral health, and high levels of the bacteria in our gums with the increased risk to develop Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia1-3. Specifically, there is now evidence of the oral pathogen, Porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg), present in brain tissue and cerebrospinal fluid and it may be involved with the production of the abnormal proteins that are characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease4.  Additionally, the d...
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There Is More in The Head Than The Mouth

Posted on by Angie Stone BS RDH
Many dental professionals cut the body off just below the nose! However, research has connected systemic health to the many things below the mouth. The oral systemic link is real, and we all know that and salivary diagnostics helps us connect the dots. Dental professionals spend time educating patients about the links between oral health and heart health, diabetes, and preterm low birth weight babies, to name a few. And now research is connecting oral health to structures above the mouth…nam...
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Leaky Gum Syndrome & The Oral-Systemic Link

Posted on by Cass Nelson-Dooley MS
Few of us think much about the health of our mouth lining unless our gums are swollen and red or if we have mouth pain. But the tissue lining your gums and the inside of your mouth is vitally important to keeping you safe from heart disease, joint pain, and brain disease. How do healthy gums protect you from all of that? Your mouth lining is a critical defense between infections in your mouth and the rest of your body. Bleeding, swollen, sore gums can point to a weak defense in the mouth and may...
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The Oral Systemic Connection: A Risk Reduction Approach

Posted on by Anne O. Rice
I have greatly enjoyed being a dental hygienist for over 30 years. Something that still fascinates me is the oral health and whole-body health connections. As a constant student, I have studied bidirectional and causal relationships amongst oral pathogens and a host of chronic diseases. In fact, over two decades ago, the surgeon general spoke about periodontal disease effects, and we now know there are established associations to 57 adverse health conditions, associated with periodontal dise...
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Oral Hygiene and Cognition By: Ram Rao, PhD

Posted on by Rammohan Rao PhD
A nice, friendly smile is visually attractive and is also a sign of good oral hygiene practice and cognitive health. Numerous studies have found a close connection between poor oral hygiene and dementia. Studies have found that those with poor oral hygiene practices are at higher risk for dementia, and dementia patients are at higher risk for developing gum disease. Poor oral hygiene and inadequate nutrition are likely the primary drivers for the risk of gum disease in dementia patients, par...
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Dental Hygiene: Looking Beyond

Posted on by Barbara Tritz RDH
Dental health has never been more important. We know the mouth plays a critical role in systemic health. It is a bellwether for what is really happening deep within the body. The mouth is the proverbial “canary in the coal mine.” The infections we see clinically are symptoms of bigger problems, and vice versa; inflammation in the mouth affects the entire body. We know: 50% of the US population has some level of gum disease.1 Dementia affects 55 million people worldwide, and this n...
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Unlock the Secret to Successful Medical – Dental Collaboration

Posted on by Geralyn Beers RDH BS FAAOSH
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is on the rise in the United States. Until now it has been thought to be a terminal disease with no cure. However, all that is changing with the development of a precision medicine method called ReCODE (Reversal of COgnitive DEcline). This cutting-edge method has been taught around the world to physicians & health coaches and now the dental team has an exciting opportunity to get involved. As the sixth leading cause of death in the U.S., AD is the most common type...
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