The old folks song, Dem Bones, talks about the relationship that one body part has with another. And just as the head bone’s connected to the neck bone, as it turns out, healthy gums are directly connected to a healthy mind. According to WellnessResources.com, the Glostrop Aging Study, conducted by American and Danish researchers, revealed a link between inflammatory gum-related problems to cognitive decline and a risk for Alzheimer’s.
“Lead researcher, Dr. Angela Kamer, Assistant Professor of Periodontology and Implant Dentistry at New York University, published previous research in 2008 explaining the theoretical link between Alzheimer’s and gum disease,” WellnessResources.com explained. “In 2009 she clearly demonstrated that patients with Alzheimer’s disease had a significantly higher level of antibodies and inflammatory molecules associated with periodontal disease in their plasma compared to healthy people.”
The article went on to say that there is also a link between gum problems and heart disease, digestive health and the severity of arthritic pain. But unlike our internal organs, the health of our gums is something that we can readily observe.
“Dental hygiene is of extreme importance to your future health,” WellnessResources.com said. “Your gum health is also the ‘front end’ of your overall digestive system — meaning that fully clearing up gum problems may also require correcting imbalances that likely exist within your digestive tract.”
We here at Freedom Home Care want nothing but the best overall health for our patients, so if you or your aging loved one has not paid a recent visit to the dentist, we highly recommend it. Your heart and mind will thank you for it.