p.gingivalis

Bacteria and the Brain

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Categories: Oral Health

A new study conducted by researchers at several major universities and published in the medical journal Science Advances has revealed that bacteria have the ability to release toxins that can make their way into the bloodstream and into the brain. Worse yet, these toxins could be responsible for the development of Alzheimer’s disease.

With over 700 different species of bacteria colonizing in our mouths, it’s actually quite impressive that only about 24 of them can cause problems throughout the rest of the body – but those problems are big problems, says Dr. Allison Lesko, a dentist from Fort Collins, Colorado.

It all starts when those nasty bacteria that hang out in our mouths get swallowed or pulled into our bloodstream.

“Your teeth and gums are supposed to stop the bacteria from leaving your mouth, but if you have inflammation or gingival pockets due to receding gums, these create easy entrance points for these bacteria to enter the bloodstream and cause damage in the body,” says Lesko.

One of the worst offenders is bacteria known as Porphyromonas gingivalis, or p. gingivalis for short. P gingivalis is not only dangerous in its own right, but it also has the power to change good bacteria into bad bacteria, which is very bad news for your body. In fact, p. gingivalis has been found to cause everything from pneumonia to heart disease and even esophageal cancer. Now, it’s also being linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

Thankfully, now that a link between p. gingivalis and Alzheimer’s has been established, researchers can set to work determining what – if anything – can be done to sever the link and hopefully treat Alzheimer’s disease. One such attempt at severing this link is treatment with a drug called COR388. This experimental drug has been found to eradicate p. gingivalis proteins called gingipains, which have been found in excess in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients postmortem.

Thanks to this success, COR388 is currently undergoing clinical trials, and development of other drugs that would target the gingipains is currently under way.

In the meantime, Lesko says your best weapon against Alzheimer’s disease, gingipains and p. gingivalis bacteria are the same thing: one simple step that many Americans admit to not doing regularly enough.

“Brushing your teeth,” says Lesko. “That’s the key to preventing a lot of this.”

Lesko says brushing twice a day for two-minute intervals and flossing at least one time per day can help ward off not just cavities and bad breath, but also periodontal disease and the entrance of bacteria into the bloodstream and brain.

Researchers are quick to note that not all cases of Alzheimer’s disease appear to be caused by p. gingivalis bacteria, so treatments like COR388 may not be the answer for everyone. But Lesko is optimistic that with improved oral health initiatives, we may see a reduction in Alzheimer’s cases in the future.

Contact The Fort Collins Dentist Family & Implant Dentistry:

970-221-5115

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

2001 S Shields St Bldg L
Fort Collins, Colorado
80526

Oral Health and Alzheimer’s Disease

Posted on
Categories: Oral Health

For the estimated 3 million Americans who are diagnosed with the debilitating illness known as Alzheimer’s disease each year, tragic symptoms like dementia and memory loss are a way of life. Categorized as a progressive brain condition that causes patients to lose their memory and a variety of other mental capabilities, the disease – and its possible causes – is in many ways still a mystery to scientists.

But a new study from the journal Science Advances has yielded some new information that could help make massive strides toward a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Until recently scientists had noticed a connection between poor oral health and Alzheimer’s disease, but they by and large figured this link had more to do with Alzheimer’s patients forgetting or neglecting to take care of their oral health properly. The study, which was conducted by researchers in both California and Edinburgh, Scotland, developed and proved a new theory: Alzheimer’s isn’t causing poor oral health – poor oral health could be causing Alzheimer’s.

To prove this new theory, scientists studied two proteins: amyloid plaques and tau proteins. These two proteins build up in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and have been used by scientists as indicators of Alzheimer’s disease postmortem. Unfortunately, despite their presence in Alzheimer’s patients, before recently scientists didn’t really know what caused these proteins to build up – so they decided to find out. The researchers in the Science Advances study examined the proteins and see if they build up due to outside factors such as bacteria. They began by examining some common bacteria found in Alzheimer’s patients’ bodies. One such bacteria was p.gingivalis bacteria, the bacteria known to cause gum disease.

What the scientists found was that the p.gingivalis bacteria released the enzyme gingipain, which tangles the tau proteins found in Alzheimer’s patients. The amyloid proteins, on the other hand, are released to protect the body from the p.gingivalis bacteria. In fact, when mice were infected with p.gingivalis bacteria, scientists noticed that they had higher levels of amyloid plaques and more damaged neurons, proving gingipains are causing the damaged protein responsible for some cases of Alzheimer’s disease.

So, what does this mean for you? Well, for starters, more studies need to be done to understand this connection. Researchers are in agreement that this is potentially just ONE cause of Alzheimer’s – in fact, people with healthy teeth and gums can and still do get Alzheimer’s. But it’s also a great reason to start ramping up your oral health routine. That means brushing twice a day for two minutes at a time minimum, flossing and visiting Dr. Lesko for regular dental exams.

To schedule your next exam with Dr. Lesko, please call 970-221-5115.

Contact The Fort Collins Dentist Family & Implant Dentistry:

970-221-5115

Location (Tap to open in Google Maps):

2001 S Shields St Bldg L
Fort Collins, Colorado
80526