What Alzheimer’s Awareness Means to Us

Life sometimes warns us about what it can throw at us. Yet, although we think we can prepare for it, we still don't feel ready. That's why this month, I wanted to talk about Alzheimer's disease, which is important to many of us as people, but also to dentistry professionals, as well.

I may not treat patients directly, but I do know that, as the dentistry field advances, we learn new things about the mouth-body connection every day. There are many bacteria that can form in our mouths from poor oral hygiene, and recent studies have found certain bacteria often found in gum disease (P. gingivalis, Treponema denticola, Tanerella forsythia, and others) can migrate from the mouth to the brain (1). P. gingivalis can reproduce all the characteristic features of Alzheimer's disease (2).

That's why taking care of your teeth is so important for your present and future health. While Alzheimer's disease is linked with many other conditions — not just gum disease — there's very strong research-based evidence that there's a correlation between having healthy gums and a healthy brain. But the context of a patient's health is important, too, and there are more risk factors related to Alzheimer's than gum disease. Just because someone has gum disease doesn't mean they'll develop Alzheimer's disease, but it can certainly help reduce their risk if they have healthy gums.

Many of my dentists are already aware of these facts, but some patients might not be as aware and could find this knowledge useful as motivation to brush more! Even if a patient doesn't know anyone with Alzheimer's or doesn't know how serious it is, we can all understand that it's a destructive disease and a terrible experience for any family to go through.

Although I don't have anyone in my life who has experienced Alzheimer's or dementia, my parents are getting older and losing their memories and verbal skills. My mom used to be the main caretaker for my father after he started to decline, but in April, she had a little health crisis, and now she also needs care. I've always been very close to my dad and mom and used to be able to talk to them about a lot of things, but now it's hard to have conversations with them. My dad has a hard time hearing and my mom is not able to talk much.

I still visit all the time since my lab is near their home, and on the weekends, I go with my wife and kids to see them. I'll video call when I can't be there in person, but it's hard to lose that ability to converse with a parent. I can't imagine how much more difficult it would be if my parents were to more rapidly decline and forget who me and my siblings are. My heart really goes out to everyone going through the emotional and caretaking challenges of Alzheimer's.

Now that we're nearly to 2021, I want to take a moment to pause and say thank you so much for reading these newsletters and for supporting my business. I hope you and your family enjoy your Thanksgiving! Every moment is so precious, and there's no better time to remember just how incredibly valuable those memories are than during this month in this crazy year.