New study shows mouth bacteria could cause "direct damage to brain tissue" and accelerate Alzheimer's disease

boing
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Originally published at: New study shows mouth bacteria could cause "direct damage to brain tissue" and accelerate Alzheimer's disease | Boing Boing

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@frauenfelder

First link (line one, paragraph one) in the article is bad.

Try this:

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More unpalatable news.

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Don’t panic.

They work.
I splurged in 2020. Worthwhile!

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I have chronic periodontitis which I have been dealing with for decades. My dentist thinks it’s simply a matter of my particular mouth chemistry that is very susceptible to bacteria growth.

I’ve been taking a lose dosage of Doxycycline Hyclate (20 mgs) antibiotic daily. I have cleanings every 3 months and religious flossing, brushing and water-picking but the doxy is really the only thing that keeps it under control. Highly recommend asking your dentist about it if you struggle with gum disease. Some dentists are skeptical about it’s long term efficacy but I can attest to it’s impact over the past 10 years.

I follow studies about the link between oral hygiene and heart health closely so now I’ve got something else to worry about. Great.

complaining homer simpson GIF

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Time to floss!

but but flossing causes micro-lesions permitting inflammatory oral bacterial components to cross the blood-brain barrier in the trans-facial circulatory system! …i joke i joke (or do i?) At least keep in mind that many forms of Alzheimer’s have been consistently shown to have notable genetic loci (“Is that supposed to be a comfort!!?”). That is, it’s most likely a multi-factor pathology. Well, at least we’re beyond blaming it on oral aluminum consumption (or are we?)

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I’ll mention this every dental related post:

Water Pik

If you hate flossing, get a Water Pik. (pick?)

I had horrible gum health from a combination of depression and lack of access to dental care. I finally got my teeth deep cleaned and have improved and maintained my gum health thanks in big part to a water pik.

Also, get a real electric toothbrush like a Sonic Care.

My hygienist claims me as one of her success stories, and you can be one too if you are having issues. It isn’t too late to make a change.

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Currently on sale. I was considering picking one up the other day. I really hate flossing.

Limited-time deal: Waterpik Aquarius Water Flosser Professional For Teeth, Gums, Braces, Dental Care, Electric Power With 10 Settings, 7 Tips For Multiple Users And Needs, ADA Accepted, Blue WP-663

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I hated flossing too. Water Pik does nearly as good of a job, and way better job than nothing.

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As such, I make it a practice to avoid chewing on the gray matter of my patients.

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I’ve been reading about this for many years. Decades of extremely strong correlations between oral hygiene and brain health/function, with more and more direct evidence adding up. Reading about the various studies, I started taking a lot more interest in taking care of my teeth - or more particularly, my gums, as a result, because it’s pretty scary, really.

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At night before bed, after brushing with my Rotadent electric toothbrush (expensive, but worth it), I floss and then use the pointed brushhead dipped into Chlorhexidine Gluconate (brand name Peridex, there are others) to apply along the gumline. They say that if one uses the Peridex as a rinse as recommended, it can discolor one’s teeth, but applying it with the toothbrush has helped me avoid that fate. I get three dental cleanings a year and luckily have no periodontal problems.

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