COULD YOUR DENTIST SAVE YOUR LIFE?

When it comes to our health and wellbeing, how many of us think about our mouth? For most of us, dental health amounts to little more than a sparkling smile but the latest advances in medical research may be about to change that. Earlier this year a study into Alzheimer’s disease found compelling evidence that the condition could be caused by a strain of bacteria usually associated with gum disease. The research is still at an early stage but the findings, published in the journal Science Advances, add to a growing body of research linking Alzheimer’s to oral health. Previous studies, for example, have found that people who have gum disease for 10 years or longer are up to 70% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s.

While this discovery alone may be enough to have you reaching for the dental floss, in fact, it is only the tip of the iceberg. Studies have linked oral bacteria and gum disease to an ever increasing number of conditions.

A study by the Chinese Academy of Medical