Healthy Teeth & Gums maybe Linked to Dementia
Colloidal Silver
Many folks know how powerfully effective incorporating colloidal silver in their daily dental hygiene is for maintaining healthier teeth and gums, but did you know it might also prevent dementia? It's true! Researchers are discovering that some forms of dementia can be caused by bacteria that migrate from the oral cavity into the brain, causing inflammation and brain damage. Below, you'll discover several studies that link poor dental hygiene with dementia, including one that found that those who brushed their teeth less than once per day were 65% more likely to develop dementia than those who brushed more frequently! So how can colloidal silver help? Here's what you need to know…
In July 2020, the National Institute on Aging published an article titled "Large study links gum disease with dementia ". The article states:
"A recent analysis led by NIA scientists suggests that bacteria that cause gum disease are also associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, especially vascular dementia. ….
…. Bacteria and the inflammatory molecules they make can travel from infections in the mouth through the bloodstream to the brain. Previous lab studies have suggested that this is one mechanism influencing the cascade of events that leads to dementia, but large studies with people have not been conducted to confirm this relationship.
…. The analysis revealed that older adults with signs of gum disease and mouth infections at baseline were more likely to develop Alzheimer's during the study period. Among those 65 years or older, both Alzheimer's diagnoses and deaths were associated with antibodies against the oral bacterium P. gingivalis, which can cluster with other bacteria such as Campylobacter rectus and Prevotella melaninogenica to further increase those risks."
And this topic of research isn't new! Researchers have been following this connection between oral bacteria and dementia for over a decade.
In this important study from back in 2012, researchers from the University of California followed nearly 5,500 elderly people over a period of 18 years.
The researchers found that those who brushed their teeth less than once per day were 65% more likely to develop dementia than those who brushed more frequently!
According to Annlia Paganini-Hill, who led the study, which was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society:
"Some studies have also found that people with Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, have more gum disease-related bacteria in their brains than a person without Alzheimer's."
In other words, much like the 2020 article and study mentioned above, Paganini-Hill concluded that when proper oral health care is not followed, bacteria known to cause gum disease can migrate into the brain, "causing inflammation and brain damage."
Have there been more studies demonstrating a link between poor oral health and the onset of dementia?
Indeed, there have been.
For example, in a study from 2007 titled, "Tooth Loss, Dementia and Neuropathology in the Nun Study," published in the Journal of the American Dental Association, it was discovered by researchers that the more teeth a person loses to periodontal disease during aging, the greater the incidence of dementia.
And according to an article in Prevention magazine:
"Experts think oral bacteria may spread to the brain through cranial nerves that connect to the jaw or through the bloodstream, and may contribute to the type of plaque that's been linked to Alzheimer's."
And in this article on WebMD.com, they state:
"A growing body of research finds that bacteria and inflammation in your mouth are also associated with other problems, including heart attack and dementia, and may well jeopardize your overall health."
Finally, according to an article by Elizabeth Kaye, MPH, Ph.D., professor and director of the epidemiology division in the Department of Health Policy & Health Services Research at Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine:
"Within the past several years, an increasing number of studies have reported associations between oral health status and measures of impaired cognition in community-dwelling older adults."
How Can Colloidal Silver Help?
Researchers already know that inflammation triggered by oral bacteria (also known as plaque bacteria) is implicated in a number of other serious conditions, including heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
In Angela Kaelin's great article, Colloidal Silver, Oral Health and Heart Health, you'll learn how good oral health habits – including regular oral colloidal silver usage to keep populations of problematic oral pathogens at bay – can lower your risk for heart-related ailments.
And in one of my older articles, Colloidal Silver Tames the Dental Plaque Monster, you'll learn that colloidal silver is a proven effective method for preventing the buildup of bacterial plaque.
Indeed, you'll learn about a patent for a dental procedure for stopping tooth and gum disease that depends exclusively upon the release of silver ions. The patent states, in part:
"Administration of metal ions, preferably silver ions, to the site where microorganisms that cause gum disease reside…can destroy bacterial plaque on teeth and bacterial pockets under the gum line!"
In other words, bacterial plaque on the teeth and under the gum lines are extremely susceptible to the infection-fighting qualities of silver ions.
What's more, according to a 1999 study conducted at Brigham Young University, the bacterium Streptococcus mutans, which is a major cause of dental plaque and tooth decay, was inhibited and destroyed using just 5 ppm of colloidal silver.
In fact, in the study colloidal silver was demonstrated to be as good at destroying the bacteria as five different classes of antibiotics, including: the tetracyclines, fluorinated quinolones (Ofloxacin), the penicillins, the cephalosporins (Cefaperazone) and the macrolides (Erythromycin).
Finally, according to an article in NaturalNews.com, antimicrobial silver is also effective against yeast and fungal oral pathogens:
"A new study published in the Society for Applied Microbiology journal Letters in Applied Microbiology reveals that silver is fully capable of killing yeast-based mouth infections caused by Candida albicans and Candida glabrata.
Professor Mariana Henriques and her colleagues from the University of Minho in Portugal evaluated the effects of a silver nanoparticle solution on oral thrush, dental stomatitis, and various other mouth infections caused by the two aforementioned strains of yeast.
They came to the conclusion that, in all cases, the silver solution was effective at combating these infection-causing yeast strains, even when the size of the silver particles used varied dramatically."
Little Doubt…
So there's little doubt that regular and judicious use of colloidal silver as part of a good oral health care program can help prevent the overgrowth of oral bacteria that are known to cause tooth and gum disease, and are now implicated in damage to both the heart and the brain!
Important Note and Disclaimer: The contents of this Ezine have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Information conveyed herein is from sources deemed to be accurate and reliable, but no guarantee can be made in regards to the accuracy and reliability thereof. The author, Steve Barwick, is a natural health journalist with over 30 years of experience writing professionally about natural health topics. He is not a doctor. Therefore, nothing stated in this Ezine should be construed as prescriptive in nature, nor is any part of this Ezine meant to be considered a substitute for professional medical advice. Nothing reported herein is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. The author is simply reporting what he has learned during the past 17 years of journalistic research into colloidal silver and its usage. Therefore, the information and data presented should be considered for informational purposes only, and approached with caution. Readers should verify for themselves, and to their own satisfaction, from other knowledgeable sources such as their doctor, the accuracy and reliability of all reports, ideas, conclusions, comments and opinions stated herein. All important health care decisions should be made under the guidance and direction of a legitimate, knowledgeable and experienced health care professional. Readers are solely responsible for their choices. The author and publisher disclaim responsibility or liability for any loss or hardship that may be incurred as a result of the use or application of any information included in this Ezine.