A recent paper by a Chicago team tests this theory on wild-type mice (not transgenic, so not with human genes like ApoE4). Ilievski, V., et al. (2018) "Chronic oral application of a periodontal pathogen results in brain inflammation, neurodegeneration and amyloid beta production in wild type mice," https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0204941 (PLOSone, open access).
In this work, we tested the hypothesis that repeated exposure of wild type C57BL/6 mice to orally administered Pg [the gram-negative periodontal pathogen Porphromonas gingivalis] results in neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, microgliosis, astrogliosis and formation of intra- and extracellular amyloid plaque and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) which are pathognomonic signs of AD
The paper doesn't establish causality. Researchers commented “Using a wild-type mouse model added strength to our study because these mice were not primed to develop the disease..... Oral hygiene is an important predictor of disease, including diseases that happen outside the mouth. People can do so much for their personal health by taking oral health seriously.” https://neurosciencenews.com/periodonta ... mers-9955/
I confess to periodically neglecting dental care but investigated the issue as an E3/E4 looking for causes of LOAD. Recently I was diagnosed with mild periodontitis and underwent cleaning and scaling. After several weeks of brushing, flossing, and mouthwash with chlorhexadine 2% and liquid turmeric, it went away on a repeat visit. I wish I had been more faithful in midlife, as that is the time when it might result in damage. Still, the docs didn't see any plaques on my PET scan nor amyloid in CSF, so I might be ok with dementia (there still is a cardiac risk with gum disease, no?).
