Indian Research Reveals Periodontal Disease as Potential Risk Factor for Alzheimer's Disease

The researchers note that Alzheimer’s disease is a cognitive impairment disorder that affects daily activities, and its association with periodontal disease is increasingly being recognized. A bidirectional relationship exists between the two conditions, where periodontal disease may worsen AD severity, while cognitive decline in AD patients can lead to poor oral hygiene, further aggravating periodontal disease. Given this interplay, dentists play a crucial role in patient management, yet their awareness and understanding of this link remain unclear.

Against the above background, Suragimath Girish, Department of Periodontology, School of Dental Sciences, Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth (Deemed to be University), Karad, Maharashtra, India, and colleagues aimed to evaluate dentists' knowledge, awareness, and practices regarding periodontal disease as a potential risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease.

For this purpose, the researchers conducted a cross-sectional survey among dentists practicing in Western Maharashtra, India. A structured questionnaire with 20 close-ended questions was designed to assess their knowledge, awareness, and practices regarding the link between periodontal disease and Alzheimer’s disease. Data was collected through a pre-validated Google Form, and emailed to willing participants. The association between periodontal disease and Alzheimer’s was analyzed.

The study revealed the following findings:

• A total of 185 dentists from Western Maharashtra participated in the study.
• Over 90% were familiar with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, but 16.2% did not know AD is the leading cause of dementia.
• While 97% agreed that AD affects quality of life, 24.3% were unaware of nutritional deficiencies as a risk factor.
• About 30.3% did not know malnutrition could accelerate dementia, and 33.5% were unaware that smoking could contribute to it.
• Most (89.7%) recognized that smoking and tobacco consumption impact periodontal health.
• Around 79.5% understood the link between periodontal disease and systemic conditions, but 32.4% did not know oral pathogens could cause neuroinflammation, and 38.9% were unaware they could cross the blood-brain barrier.
• About 20.5% did not know periodontal disease is more common in the elderly.
• While 85.4% acknowledged that neurodegenerative conditions compromise oral hygiene, 53.5% were unaware that women are more affected by AD.
• Nearly 71.9% were unaware of a definitive treatment for AD.
• Around 23.2% believed AD does not impact dental plaque control, and 21.1% did not think periodontal parameters worsen with AD.
• Most (91.4%) agreed that better oral care improves the quality of life in AD patients, and 95.7% emphasized educating caregivers about oral hygiene.
• The majority (92.4%) found the questionnaire helpful.

In conclusion, the authors found that dentists had limited knowledge, awareness, and practices regarding the link between periodontal disease and Alzheimer’s disease. They emphasize the need for continuing dental education programs to improve understanding of this bidirectional relationship. The authors also highlight the importance of educating patients and caregivers on oral hygiene and health maintenance to ensure long-term benefits.

Reference:

Aiswarya, Achari; Girish, Suragimath; Siddhartha, Varma; Sameer, Zope; Ashwinirani, SR. Periodontal Disease as a Potential Risk Factor for Alzheimer’s Disease - An Evaluative Study. Indian Journal of Dental Research ():10.4103/ijdr.ijdr_737_22, March 03, 2025. | DOI: 10.4103/ijdr.ijdr_737_22