The Age-Well Project

Change the way you age

Get our posts direct to your inbox

  • About The Age-Well Project
  • Books
    • Our Books
    • Reviews
    • References
  • Blog
  • Recipes
    • Recipes By Ingredient
    • Breakfast
    • Dessert
    • Dinner
    • Drinks
    • Family
    • On The Go
    • Soups and Salads
    • Treats and Snacks
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Press

WHY GUM DISEASE IS LINKED TO ALZHEIMER’S, AND HOW TO REDUCE YOUR RISK

January 25, 2019 10 Comments

When multiple studies link oral hygiene to dementia we need to take notice. Yesterday, researchers revealed they’d found a bacteria associated with chronic gum disease in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s. That bacteria secretes a toxic protein, gingipain, which appears to destroy brain neurons. It also increases build up of amyloid beta, which forms the plaques in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s.

This doesn’t mean that the gum disease bacteria causes Alzheimer’s. Correlation does not prove causation, as we say frequently. But previous studies have also linked the two conditions. One showed that people with both mild to moderate cognitive impairment and gum disease experienced a quicker rate of decline compared to those without gum disease. And a Taiwanese study showed that people who’d suffered chronic periodontitis for at least 10 years were 70% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s.

CARING FOR A LOVED ONE WITH DEMENTIA, AND THEIR TEETH

People with Alzheimer’s Disease also tend to have poor oral hygiene. One of the first warning signs that my mum was suffering from dementia was the state of her teeth. Her previously scrupulous routine of oral hygiene fell by the wayside as her memory deteriorated. It took me a long time (too long, I feel guilty about it to this day) to realise that she was no longer cleaning her teeth properly. By the time the reality had sunk in, her teeth were in a shocking state. I spent week after week driving her to the dentist to have rotten teeth removed and partial dentures made.

As a side note, if you’re caring for someone who’s been diagnosed with dementia, or you suspect may be suffering from cognitive decline, check their teeth and get them to the dentist. Chances are they may have forgotten to book a check up or may not be cleaning their teeth regularly.

HOW TO LOOK AFTER YOUR TEETH

By coincidence, I went to the dental hygienist yesterday – never a pleasant experience, but very important. After she’d given my teeth a good scrub, and reassured me that I don’t have gum disease, she asked me if I’m using interdental brushes. I’d never heard of them! Am I the last person on earth to be using these little wonder-brushes? If, like me, you’ve missed out on this vital bit of dental kit then it would be worth talking to your dentist about them. They’re designed to clean those tiny gaps between our teeth and help reduce the risk of gum disease. They come in wide array of colours and sizes to fit every gap – so now I have a rainbow-hued selection in my bathroom. Adding this step to brushing my teeth and flossing is a bit of a faff, to be honest, but I’m determined to give it a go.

Looking after our teeth is such a simple action and could make a difference to our Alzheimer’s risk. Do share this post with friends and family so they can take action too.

Susan

 

 

 

Photo: Ne¾a Èerin

  • Conditions: Alzheimer's, Brain and Dementia
« WHY WE NEED MORE LUTEIN: GREEN BUTTERBEAN SOUP
GOOD NEWS FOR OLD MUSCLES »

Comments

  1. Sheree Whatley says

    January 25, 2019 at 9:59 am

    Susan

    Great article! Oral hygiene is probably much more important that people realise. There has also been research linking poor oral health to heart disease.

    My husband is CEO of a start up company which sells a toothpaste backed by over 10 years of research from Queen Mary University London which is a game changer. It’s the only toothpaste to have been approved by the Oral Health Foundation’s expert panel for sensitivity relief and remineralisation. It’s called BioMin and you can read all about it on http://www.biomin.co.uk.

    Reply
  2. Patrick Murphy says

    January 25, 2019 at 11:07 am

    I had a shock about 5 years ago when my dentist referred me to the specialist to discuss my gums. She said that I had
    receeding gums and I needed to look after them much better than I was. She started me on interdental brushes and I haven’t looked back since. They are quick and easy to use and for me so much better than flossing although supposedly you are still required to floss in between the teeth. However my main concern is keeping the gums clean. All following check ups have been fine.

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      January 27, 2019 at 6:58 pm

      Good news! Thanks, Patrick

      Reply
  3. Pam says

    January 25, 2019 at 12:15 pm

    Have there been any studies with people who have had dentures for a long time? Eg my mum and dad had the same diet and lifestyle since they were 20. dad has had dentures since he was about the same age mum not. she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at age 62 and he is going strong at 86 .

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      January 27, 2019 at 6:57 pm

      That’s a really good question, Pam. I wonder if any studies have been done. Will look into it!

      Reply
  4. Ann Rodgers says

    January 25, 2019 at 5:09 pm

    We got a water flosser for Christmas and really like it. I is much easier and quicker than string flossing and leaves the gums feeling really clean. It is more expensive, but was in the sale, so better value.

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      January 27, 2019 at 6:55 pm

      Oooh interesting, Ann. I hadn’t heard of water flossing before – will check it out! Thank you.

      Reply
  5. Diana Studer says

    January 25, 2019 at 8:54 pm

    I’m hoping dental floss is adequate
    (don’t to add more recyclable waste)

    Reply
  6. Gaynor Davis says

    February 28, 2019 at 4:40 pm

    Hi Susan, Just reading your post about the connection between gum disease and dementia. I was recommended inter-dental brushes about 5 years ago and have had healthy gums ever since. Love them!! They don’t cause so much of a pollution /throw-away problem because I wash them carefully and use them again.
    In Australia in the 1950’s women who had been through childbirth were deemed to have unsound teeth and had all of their teeth removed. What a barbaric practice. Both my mother-in-law and my mother had the same treatment. My mother is now 90 years old and although she doesn’t have dementia, she has a heart condition.
    When my children had braces, we bought them a “water pic”, which was like a tooth pick but sprayed water. They liked it and thankfully had clean teeth and healthy gums.

    Reply
    • Susan Saunders says

      February 28, 2019 at 7:18 pm

      Thanks so much Gaynor. We love inter-dental brushes! And can’t believe that women in Australia had their teeth removed!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Welcome to The Age-Well Project

Welcome to The Age-Well Project!
Here you’ll find easy changes for a longer, happier life. We’ve immersed ourselves in the science of longevity and distilled the research to make it work in our everyday lives. You can change the way you age: here’s how.

Favourite Posts

WHY I’VE THROWN OUT ALL MY BEAUTY PRODUCTS (nearly…)

Why Alzheimer’s Is A Women’s Issue

HOW HAVING A DOG CHANGED MY LIFE

GREEN SPACE IS GOOD FOR YOUR HEALTH

SUGAR, CHOCOLATE, SADNESS AND BRAIN-BOOSTING BISCUITS

WHY ‘INFLAMM-AGEING’ COULD START IN THE GUT AND HARISSA-ROASTED VEGETABLE SALAD

POLYAMINES – THE NEW SECRET WEAPON FOR AGEING WELL & MOROCCAN SPINACH AND CHICKPEAS.

THINNING AGEING HAIR – WARM CHICKEN LIVER SALAD

About The Age Well Project

This site is for anyone who wants to make the second half of their life as healthy, happy and disease-free as possible. Sign up to get the latest research on ageing – and delicious recipes to match – direct to your inbox.

agewellproject

⭐️Change the way you age
📚The Age-Well Project + Age-Well Plan ⭐️Get tips & recipes on our blog - sign up ⬇️

The Age-Well Project blog
Look, we know not many people have round-the-clock Look, we know not many people have round-the-clock access to a sauna. But Susan found one in a hotel she was staying at recently, there’s one in our local gym and Annabel found plenty on her summer holiday in Finland. 

A growing number of studies attest to the longevity-enhancing benefits of routine forays into a sauna. Much of the research has been instigated in Finland where sauna (pronounced to rhyme with downer) has existed forever.

So how does sauna help us age well? The extreme heat activates heat shock proteins which researchers think can maintain the healthy functioning of our cells.  As we get older, the proteins in some of our cells start to misfold and collapse. They then clump together forming plaques, including the plaques thought to cause Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Heat shock proteins – triggered by a sauna stint and possibly by hot baths – appear to prevent the misfolding and collapsing of cellular proteins, as well as clearing out those that have already misfolded. Which is to say they keep our cells in good shape. 

There’s more on the blog - link in bio 

#womenover50 #over50andfit #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalwomen #postmenopausalhealth 
#brainhealth #alzheimers #reducedementiarisk #cognitivehealth #betterbrainhealth #brainfog  #agewell #longevity #ageingwell #agingwell
Obsessed with the smoked quinoa in this salad! You Obsessed with the smoked quinoa in this salad! You know we love a good grain and this one is particularly delicious. It’s from our friends @hodmedods and they very kindly gave us a discount code to share with you - it’s valid until the end of September. Code and recipe are on the blog - link in bio (it’s the blog post about reducing dementia risk) #prproduct #recipe #healthyrecipe #discountcode #wholegrains #quinoarecipes #womenover50 #over50 #over50health #postmenopause #over50andfit #dementiaprevention #alzheimers #brainhealth #cognition #agewell
Dear followers, we have been hacked and are in the Dear followers, we have been hacked and are in the process of resolving it. Please do not respond to, or interact with, a request from our impersonator calling themselves theagewellproject. We are agewell project - no The! 

Thank you!
Of course, it’s not about numbers, but we’re s Of course, it’s not about numbers, but we’re so thrilled over 5000 of you have joined us on our mission to age well! Thank you 🙏

If you’re new here, we’re Susan and Annabel, long-time friends turned longevity writers. We started blogging about our quest to age well almost a decade ago (!) - you can find the blog at agewellproject.com or via the link in our bio. 

As working mums, we started looking for simple, science-backed ways to make the best of the second halves of our lives. We wanted to improve our own health and reduce our risk of the chronic conditions of ageing. When we started writing, Susan was caring for her mum, who had dementia, and Annabel has also faced challenges with her family’s health. 

Along the way, the blog became a best-selling book, The Age-Well Project, and further books have followed. You can find out more about us individually @annabelabbs and @susansaundershealth 

The blog is packed with posts on the latest research into the science of longevity, and how we make sense of it in our own lives. And there’s also loads of lovely age-well recipes - all approved by our families! 

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #postmenopause
Wherever you’re walking this August weekend (a b Wherever you’re walking this August weekend (a bank holiday for us 🇬🇧🇬🇧), take time for your feet. They’re mini miracles and looking after them is key to ageing well. 

There’s more on the blog - link in bio.

And save this as a reminder to look after your feet! 

#longevity #womenover50 #agewell #ageingwell #agingwell #longevityblog #healthblog #agewellblog #over50bloggers #womenover50 #healthspan #womenover60 #postmenopause #postmenopausalhealth #walking #hiking #womenwhowalk #womenwhohike
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Contact Us

For any enquiries please email theagewellproject@gmail.com.

Copyright © 2023 The Age-Well Project