Could Gum Disease Trigger Brain Damage?

30 seconds

A recent study suggests that adults with gum disease may be more likely to show signs of brain white matter injury. These signs, called white matter hyperintensities, are bright spots on brain scans that indicate tissue damage and are linked to problems with memory, reasoning, balance, and stroke risk.

Researchers at the University of South Carolina studied 1,143 older adults — 800 with gum disease and 343 without. Brain scans showed that participants with gum disease had a higher volume of white matter hyperintensities (2.83 percent of total brain volume vs. 2.52 percent in those without gum disease). After adjusting for other risk factors, those with gum disease were 56 percent more likely to have extensive white matter damage.

No link was found between gum disease and other brain changes, such as cerebral microbleeds or lacunar infarcts, suggesting the connection may be specific to white matter injury. The researchers propose that chronic oral inflammation may affect blood vessel health in the brain, though more studies are needed to confirm cause and effect.