There is some evidence of a correlation between oral hygiene and Alzheimer's: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/264164.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.c

There is some evidence of a correlation between oral hygiene and Alzheimer's: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/264164.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/264164.php Basically, people with poor oral hygiene are more likely to develop Alzheimer's than people with good teeth. You might have heard about a similar study that found a link between oral hygiene and heart disease. The theory, at least in that case, is that bad oral hygiene causes chronic long-term inflammation throughout the body, not just in your gums. This might increase risk of heart disease. Without looking at the data, I would guess that the same theory applies to Alzheimer's and maybe other diseases. The usual caveat about correlation != causation applies of course.