Gum disease could trigger dementia.
Gum disease is linked to an increased risk of dementia
Researchers have explained how poor oral health can cause changes in cells that protect the brain from amyloid plaque - a type of protein associated with decline in people with Alzheimer's disease.
Dr. Alpdogan Kantarci, of Boston University in the US, said: "If you don't take care of oral inflammation and infection, you cannot really prevent systemic diseases like Alzheimer's.
"We knew from one of our previous studies that inflammation associated with gum disease activates an inflammatory response in the brain.
"In this study, we were asking the question, can oral bacteria cause a change in the brain cells?"
Gum disease causes lesions to develop between the gums and teeth and places other areas of the body at risk.
Dr. Kantarci added: "The mouth is part of the body and if you don't take care of oral inflammation and infection, you cannot really prevent systemic diseases, like Alzheimer's, in a reproducible way."