Submitted via IRC for Bytram
Brush your teeth -- postpone Alzheimer's
The researchers have determined that gum disease (gingivitis) plays a decisive role in whether a person developes Alzheimer´s or not.
"We discovered DNA-based proof that the bacteria causing gingivitis can move from the mouth to the brain," says researcher Piotr Mydel at Broegelmanns Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen (UiB).
The bacteria produces a protein that destroys nerve cells in the brain, which in turn leads to loss of memory and ultimately, Alzheimer´s.
The study is published in Science Advances.
Mydel points out that the bacteria is not causing Alzheimer´s alone, but the presence of these bacteria raise the risk for developing the disease substantially and are also implicated in a more rapid progression of the disease. However, the good news is that this study shows that there are some things you can do yourself to slow down Alzheimer´s.
“Brush your teeth and use floss”.
Mydel adds that it is important, if you have established gingivitis and have Alzheimer´s in your family, to go to your dentist regularly and clean your teeth properly.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 04 2019, @02:00PM (4 children)
There's no proof [nytimes.com] that flossing does anything to prevent cavities or gum disease.
(Score: 5, Funny) by nitehawk214 on Tuesday June 04 2019, @02:23PM
Ok there, Mr. food-stuck-in-your-teeth
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 3, Interesting) by digitalaudiorock on Tuesday June 04 2019, @10:42PM
Did you actually read that?:
I read that simply as there being a lack of conclusive statistical studies. Personally I think the major reason for medical misinformation these days is because there are way too many factors with health for such studies to be reliable in the first place.
I can tell you my own anecdotal evidence: 25 years ago dentists were telling me that I was bordering on needing radical periodontal work due to a bad tendency for having plaque. Today I'm told I have as healthy teeth (still all my original teeth with no caps, bridges etc) and gums as they see in people of any age, let alone mine. The difference...the only difference...is that since then I've flossed at least twice a day. In my view it's actually brushing...which is also important...that's somewhat overrated.
(Score: 3, Touché) by darkfeline on Wednesday June 05 2019, @12:10AM (1 child)
I don't need any "proof" that flossing works. See, it's very simple; when I floss, I remove food from between my teeth. I can actually see the food. If I didn't floss, this food would have remained stuck between my teeth. Food stuck between teeth is bad. I don't think any of the above statements need a study to prove.
Maybe you don't get food stuck between your teeth. Good for you!
Join the SDF Public Access UNIX System today!
(Score: 2, Touché) by nitehawk214 on Wednesday June 05 2019, @02:20AM
It is because he only has every other tooth, so the gaps are big enough that no food can get stuck.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh
(Score: 2) by Subsentient on Tuesday June 04 2019, @02:09PM (1 child)
WHAT? WHERE AM I?
WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?
"It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society." -Jiddu Krishnamurti
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 04 2019, @04:16PM
You've been floss-squaded.
(Score: 4, Informative) by ikanreed on Tuesday June 04 2019, @02:50PM (3 children)
1. Forget to brush teeth
2. Lose executive function
3. GOTO 1
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday June 04 2019, @03:15PM (2 children)
3. GOSUB 1
Why is it so difficult to break a heroine addiction?
(Score: 2) by ikanreed on Tuesday June 04 2019, @03:25PM (1 child)
Who needs stack memory anyways.
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Tuesday June 04 2019, @06:07PM
The subject did say Vicious cycle instead of wash, rinse or spin cycle.
Why is it so difficult to break a heroine addiction?
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 04 2019, @03:06PM (1 child)
So using Free/Libre/Open Source Software (FLOSS) prevents Alzheimer's! ;-)
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday June 06 2019, @03:25AM
Of course - haven't you ever felt that tingling and pressure in the back of your head when you're forced to use Windows? That's your brain dying.
(Score: 4, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 04 2019, @03:50PM (5 children)
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/312992.php [medicalnewstoday.com]
(Score: 4, Informative) by Booga1 on Tuesday June 04 2019, @05:39PM (4 children)
Useful article. Thanks for the link.
This is in line with past articles I've seen dentists that have recommended hard toothbrushes only if your dentist has told you to get one. Otherwise, everyone should be using soft bristles.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday June 04 2019, @07:29PM (3 children)
I've also always wondered about the futility of regular flossing when it acts to push the gums away from the between teeth gaps, causes bleeding, direct injection of oral bacteria into the bloodstream at the gums, and helps to trap food particles in the first place by increasing the between teeth gaps.
Good luck getting helpful advice from the self-serving, you really need a bite-plate, hey there's a new sealant I think you should apply, no insurance doesn't cover it but it's really worth it, oh it's time for a deep scale cleaning, dental industry.
🌻🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by Taibhsear on Tuesday June 04 2019, @08:13PM (2 children)
For people with tightly oriented teeth, the bristles of a toothbrush cannot remove the food and bacteria that get between the teeth. If you don't floss you'll get cavities between the teeth which are harder to make fillings for. Then you have to grind down the entire tooth to put a crown/cap on. Wish people would stop making excuses for not flossing. It takes like 15 seconds to do. Plus you're less likely to have stank breath.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday June 04 2019, @08:50PM (1 child)
Like, 2 billion years of evolution that came before us that successfully got here without flossing?
That depends a LOT on diet. I've flossed less than 100 times in the past 30 years and never had one of those between the teeth cavities you speak of. Probably only had 2 real cavities lifetime, I'm pretty convinced the two in the back were made up by our dentist when we got insurance that covered them.
From your perspective. If you didn't floss, you'd be less likely to notice.
I think floss is a great on-demand tool: something's stuck between teeth, floss gets it out better and safer than a toothpick.
🌻🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 04 2019, @11:56PM
What were their teeth like? I bet they also didn't have as much sugar-filled junk food as we do...
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 04 2019, @05:06PM
This is from 2016, If on schedule, should hit the market any month now
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161205113748.htm [sciencedaily.com]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 04 2019, @06:49PM (1 child)
no news on "root canal operation"?
i suspect it's like having a firewall (your nerves) complaining about a "attack/problem" (nerve sensing pain), removing the firewall because it's buggy and slowing down the internet (removing the nerve, leaving a gaping autobahn tunnel for bacteria sized cars to drive straight into the bloodstream) and enjoying a pain-free and care-free calorie searching lifestyle ...?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday June 04 2019, @11:17PM
Having just gone through my first root-canal procedure, I did a lot of research and found that anti-RC is a lot like anti-vax although not quite as bad. A lot of it is based on outdated and/or non-rigorous science conducted by the late Weston Price [wikipedia.org]
After reading about the long term impacts and consequences of extraction vs. RC, I'll do whatever I can to hold on to my teeth as long as possible, even if the pulp is no longer vital.
(Score: 2) by EvilSS on Tuesday June 04 2019, @10:27PM
On a side note, is there a site keeping a scoreboard of things studies say cause Alzheimer's? There's so many it's hard to keep track of who's winning.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 05 2019, @01:46AM (1 child)
Let me get this straight. Alzheimer's can be caused by gingivitis, and for thousands of years before toothpaste, et al, gingivitis went unchecked. So we should be seeing a severe decline in the number of cases of Alzheimer's as our dental hygiene products and technology continues to advance, right?
(Score: 1) by nitehawk214 on Wednesday June 05 2019, @02:25AM
Up until the last hundred years people did not live long enough for Alzheimer's to be much of a problem.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh