10 Shocking Diseases You Didn’t Realize Your Dentist Could Spot

Dementia

Memory loss and confusion aren’t the only warning signs of the early stages of dementia – poor oral hygiene is too!

In fact, researchers from the University of California followed nearly 5,500 senior citizens for 18 years and found that those who brushed their teeth less than once a day were up to 65 percent more likely to develop dementia than those who brushed their teeth every day. The lead author of the study told Reuters Health that gum disease bacteria might make its way to the brain causing inflammation and brain damage.