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BERGEN, Norway – Washing your teeth twice a day will do more than brush your teeth, it may also help prevent Alzheimer's disease, a new study says.
Researchers at the University of Bergen in Norway claim that the bacteria responsible for gingivitis caused by gum disease – P. gingivalis – has been found in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease and is thought to significantly increase the risk of developing the disease. The enzymes produced by the bacteria, known as gingipains, destroy nerve cells in the brain and cause memory loss, before turning into Alzheimer's disease, according to the authors.
"We have found evidence based on DNA that the bacteria responsible for gingivitis can move from the mouth to the brain," said co-author of the study, Piotr Mydel, researcher at the department. of clinical sciences of the university, in a statement.
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Mydel and his team say their study is the first to produce this evidence. For their study, they recruited 53 people with Alzheimer's disease and discovered the bacterium in the brain of 96% of participants. Although the bacterium is not the cause of Alzheimer's disease, researchers say that it plays a major role in its development and that it could also progress more quickly.
Mydel suggests brushing and flossing every day and arranging regular visits to the dentist to prevent the growth of bacteria. He says that people with gingivitis and having a family history of Alzheimer's should take special care in their oral hygiene.
The team is also working on a drug that can block the bacteria's enzymes, helping to prevent Alzheimer's disease. The drug should be tested later this year.
The study is published in the journal Scientists progress.
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