from journal PLOS One
Need another reason to seek regular dental care? A study in the journal PLOS One suggests that periodontal disease—a common, but preventable gum infection—may initiate Alzheimer’s disease for which there is no current cure. University of Illinois Chicago researchers note other studies suggest a close association between periodontal disease, especially chronic periodontal disease, and cognitive impairment, but they say this is the first study to show exposure to periodontal bacteria results in formation of plaque that speed up brain conditions found in Alzheimer’s patients. Researchers say they did not expect the effects of periodontal disease to have that much influence on the brain or that it would so clearly resemble Alzheimer’s.