TOOTH OF THE MATTER

HOW the state of your teeth can affect your health. This week: Dementia VARIOUS studies have suggested a link between poor dental health and dementia. In 2013, researchers at the University of Central Lancashire examined the brains of deceased Alzheimer’s patients and found signs of the bacterium P. gingivalis, linked to poor oral hygiene. The scientists suggested the bacterium can kill off nerve cells once it reaches the brain, causing confusion and memory loss. And a 2011 Southampton University study suggested that dental surgery could hasten Alzheimer’s. As part of a response to surgery, the body produces inflammatory proteins that communicate with the nerve cells in the brain, causing sleepiness and lack of focus. For those with early-stage Alzheimer’s it seems the proteins may have a harmful effect, researchers said.