How Proper Oral and Vision Health Can Prevent Dementia

Dementia has many risk factors. While age and hereditary factors cannot be changed, some risk can be reduced through lifestyle changes. Two dementia risk factors – gum disease and vision loss – can be addressed now to reduce your risk of developing dementia.

How Oral Health Affects Brain Health

Studies show a connection between oral health and brain health. One noting tooth loss as a risk factor for cognitive disfunction, another showing that diabetes and tooth loss accelerates cognitive decline, and another discovering that lack of treatment for gum problems increases dementia risk.

Another study examined a possible culprit behind these associations: oral bacteria. The study followed more than 6,000 participants, with up to 26 years of follow-up. They tested participants for gum disease and 19 different types of antibodies against oral bacteria.

One type of bacteria, Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), was the bacteria most associated with periodontal disease, or gum disease.

How Gum Disease Impacts the Brain

Gum disease doesn’t just affect the mouth; the infection affects the blood throughout your body. Experts believe that the body produces plaques of beta-amyloid protein in the blood vessels to fight the infection caused by these specific bacteria. “The body defends itself by placing plaque on the wounded blood vessels, acting as a calcium band aid,” shares Terry Norris, DMD, lead consulting dentist with HRI Dental & Vision.

While plaque is meant to be a protective feature, it can cause more harm than good when not controlled.

“As more plaque is laid down to repair the area, it builds up and restricts blood flow. Picture yourself squeezing a low flowing garden hose. As you squeeze harder, less water comes out. This is what plaque does to the blood flow in the brain, which can lead to dementia,” Dr. Norris shares.

A byproduct of P. gingivalis, gingipains, are also linked to dementia. Gingipains are toxins that play a large role in the development of periodontitis. And are frequently found in the brains of individuals with dementia.

Gingipains degrade host proteins, disrupt inflammatory responses, and facilitate bacterial growth and multiplication.

Treating Gum Disease to Prevent Dementia

Gum disease is the primary producer of P. gingivalis and its byproduct, gingipains. Almost half of adults older than 30 and almost 60% of adults 65 and older have gum disease. To decrease cases of dementia, we need to lower the rate of gum disease in our population.

“Proper oral health is tantamount,” Dr. Norris shares. “This includes proper home care and regular checkups, a minimum of twice a year.”

If gum disease is detected, an early diagnosis with proper treatment is imperative. Dr. Norris recommends deep scaling to remove diseased tissue, followed by cleanings every three to four months if you are diagnosed with gum disease.

“Some may think that this is too much or may be too expensive. My word to that person is to talk to a friend who has cared for a parent with dementia. They will tell you this prevention is a small price to pay to reduce the risk of a life-changing, incurable disease,” Dr. Norris emphasizes.

How Eye Health Affects Brain Health

Last year, the Lancet Commission on dementia prevention, intervention, and care, added two new potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia. One of which was vision loss. The report lays out compelling evidence that correlates untreated vision to an increased risk of developing dementia.

Vision loss associated with dementia may be from age-related macular degeneration, cataracts or diabetic eye disease. Having multiple eye conditions also increases the risk.

“The correlation between vision loss and dementia is unclear,” shares Michele Schlagheck, OD, optometrist with ProMedica Physicians Vision Associates.

“One theory is the reduction of the activation of the brain’s sensory pathways. Another theory is that people with vision loss may be more likely to avoid social situations and become more isolated overtime. Both social isolation and depression are other risk factors for dementia.”

Treating Vision Loss to Prevent Dementia

Even if you’ve never had vision problems in the past, annual eye exams become even more important as you get older. Sometimes it’s hard to notice a gradual vision loss happening overtime. Your eye doctor can help pinpoint and address minor changes in vision before they become a bigger problem. 

“By maintaining good eye health, addressing vision problems such as the need for cataract surgery, monitoring for glaucoma and macular degeneration, and simply keeping your glasses or contact prescriptions up to date, you may be able to reduce your risk of developing dementia and maintain your cognitive function,” Dr. Schlagheck explains.

“Sometimes people think they’re too old to have procedures to improve their vision. Or that it’s not worthwhile doing. When really that mindset might be hurting them and speeding up their cognitive decline,” Dr. Schlagheck explains. “This research is telling me that addressing vision problems, regardless of your age, is more important cognitively than we realized.”

Focusing on Overall Health

Focusing on overall health improvements can also help you improve your oral and vision health. Overall health improvements such as improving the control of diabetes and hypertension helps to prevent eye diseases associated with these conditions. Eating a low-fat, low-carb diet with limited sugar can decrease your risk of cavities and gum disease.

“Currently medicine is treating the manifestations of dementia. It is up to health care providers, physicians, dentists and optometrists, to collaborate and begin an early prevention regimen to reduce the risk of this terrible disease,” Dr. Norris encourages.

Take action to reduce your risk of dementia. Address your modifiable risk factors for dementia to reduce your risk.