Charlie's Brain and His Teeth

Yesterday I wrote a blog post about the connection between dental health and brain health. This one is about the connection between the brain and the teeth.

There really is a difference.

I want to tell you about Charlie's brain/teeth connection. You see, now his damaged brain is telling him that there is something wrong with his teeth. This has turned into another of his "how to drive Marlis nuts" fixations.

Charlie has pretty good teeth for an old duffer. But now he says his teeth are too close together and he wants me to get an appointment for the dentist to "fix" the problem, which of course he has had since he got his second teeth 70 plus years ago.

He thinks the dentist can grind between each tooth so food won't get caught between them! Day in and day out we have this discussion with the resulting question, "Did you get me a dentist appointment yet?"

Then there is the second "problem" with his teeth. They are becoming very stained and he wants the dentist to do something about that. I finally figured out that the reason they are getting stained, in spite of cleanings every three months, is that he constantly "swishes" his coffee or wine while drinking it instead of immediately swallowing.

He thinks he's "cleaning his teeth" by swishing! I correct him every time I see him swishing, but he insists it's the thing to do.

I bought him a teeth-whitening kit but he refuses to use it; he wants the dentist to do something. I told him the only thing the dentist could do would be an expensive whitening treatment or even more expensive capping of the teeth. And of course, neither procedure would last long as he insists on swishing.

It's strange, the things the brain of a dementia patient comes up with.

The question becomes, how do we as caregivers cope with these obsessions?

The answer is—ignore them as much as possible. Try ANYTHING to distract them from the thing they are obsessing over, and GRIT YOUR TEETH – not too hard, or you too will have a tooth problem.

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What Do Your Teeth Have to Do With Your Brain?

A good question; the simple answer would be, nothing. The more complex answer may turn out to be, quite a lot.

Recent studies have raised concern that the condition of gums and teeth may have a direct impact on the development of Alzheimer's disease.

These studies are of interest to me because I have been under treatment for the past two years for gingivitis, or inflammatory gum disease. I had done everything the dentist suggested; brush twice (sometimes three times) daily, floss daily, change toothpaste, rinse with hydrogen peroxide before brushing, rinse with a medicinal mouth wash after brushing, and finally, professional cleanings every three months.

Nothing helped.

Then the hygienist suggested I purchase an electric toothbrush that they just happened to sell. I bought one, hated it, and really didn't give it a chance to work.

I was getting very frustrated when the hygienist then suggested a Waterpik. I bought the Waterpik immediately following my last bad dental report.

After using it for two-and-a-half months I went back for another checkup. Success! There was hardly any evidence of the inflammation that had hounded me for years.

I can't say I love the Waterpik but, for me, it is less annoying than the electric toothbrush.

Does this mean I won't develop Alzheimer's?

Of course not, but it eliminates one possible cause for the disease.

One study showed that bi-products of the bacterium p. gingivitis were found in brain samples of four out of ten Alzheimer's patients, but not in any of the brains of ten people without dementia.

In another study, New York University dental researchers studied people from 50-70 years of age, and were able to link inflamed gums to a greatly increased risk of cognitive impairment. It seems that the pathogens connected with inflamed gums can generate inflammation in the brain cells, resulting in Alzheimer's disease.

There are numerous thoughts on the causes of dementia, but staying on top of dental problems is one of the easiest ways to lower your chances of developing this devastating diagnosis.

Any bleeding when brushing or flossing your teeth could be the first sign that you or your family member might be developing gingivitis. If you can nip it the in the bud, you just might stop the onset of dreaded Alzheimer's.

It's certainly worth a try.

Now if I can just convince Charlie to try the Waterpik, who knows, maybe I can slow his dementia progress.

I'll let you know how that turns out.

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