Today is the World Alzheimer's Day and, although there is still much to be discovered and clarified in this regard, several modern studies establish a bidirectional relationship between this type of dementia and periodontitis.
The relationship between the two has recently been investigated following the discovery of high levels of one of the most relevant pathogens in periodontitis in the brains of people affected by Alzheimer's disease. In addition, toxic enzymes, called gingipains, produced and secreted by this bacterium, have been detected in the 90% of brains affected by dementia.
It has a major impact on research into this disease, which affects some 800,000 people in Spain and is the leading cause of disability in the elderly and the most common type of dementia.
It has been shown that, contrary to what was assumed years ago, the brain is not a sterile field, as immune cells, inflammatory mediators and microbes can pass through the haematoencephalic membrane.
As in the case of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, the relationship between the onset of Alzheimer's and periodontal disease could be bidirectional, i.e. the onset of this type of dementia would obviously affect our health in various aspects such as dental health, but also the progression and severity of periodontitis would increase the risk of suffering from the cognitive deterioration caused by Alzheimer's disease.