The Importance of Dental Neuroscience Highlighting the Connection Between Periodontal Disease and Alzheimer's Disease
Daniel Nuciatelli P. de Mello1, Gabriela Lourenço Leviski2, Claudia Bernhardt de Souza Pacheco3, Beatriz Ortiz Sánchez4, Irineu Gregnanin Pedron5*
1DDS, Specialist in Oral Implantology, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Master's Student in Clinical Neuroscience, University of Roehampton, London, UK.
2PhD in Biology, Professor and Researcher, Faculdade Trilogica Keppe & Pacheco and Faculdade Trilogica Nossa Senhora de Todos os Povos, Brazil.
3Psychologist, Psychoanalyst, Honorary Doctor, Founder and Director, Faculdade Trilogica Nossa Senhora de Todos os Povos, So Paulo, Brazil.
4DDS, London, UK.
5Professor, Department of Periodontology and Integrated Clinic, School of Dentistry, Universidade Braz Cubas, Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil.
*Corresponding Author: Irineu Gregnanin Pedron, Professor, Department of Periodontology and Integrated Clinic, School of Dentistry, Universidade Braz Cubas, Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil.
https://doi.org/10.58624/SVOADE.2025.06.032
Received: September 29, 2025
Published: November 04, 2025
Citation: de Mello DNP, Leviski GL, de Souza Pacheco CB, Sanchez BO, Pedron IG. The Importance of Dental Neuroscience Highlighting the Connection Between Periodontal Disease and Alzheimer's Disease. SVOA Dentistry 2025, 6:6, 200-205. doi: 10.58624/SVOADE.2025.06.032
Abstract
Periodontal disease has been associated with neurodegenerative processes, particularly Alzheimer's disease, highlighting the need for an integrated approach through Dental Neuroscience. Evidence indicates that periodontal pathogens, such as Porphyromonas gingivalis, can reach the Central Nervous System via axonal or haematogenous routes, triggering neuroinflammation and promoting the deposition of beta-amyloid and hyperphosphorylated tau protein. Experimental models and post-mortem analyses confirm its presence in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease, correlating with biomarkers of neurodegeneration. Oral dysbiosis and the gut-brain axis also modulate systemic inflammatory responses, affecting neuronal plasticity and cognitive functions. Epidemiological studies suggest that moderate or severe forms of periodontal disease significantly increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease, reinforcing the importance of early screening and prevention. Emerging strategies include gingipain inhibitors, oral probiotics, and anti-inflammatory nutritional interventions, which may reduce brain bacterial load and neuroinflammation. In this context, multidisciplinary approaches become essential for prevention and management. The consolidation of Dental Neuroscience as a scientific field broadens the understanding of the interface between oral health, the brain and public health, contributing to the training of professionals capable of acting in the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases through oral health. Given this context, the objective of this review of literature is to synthesise and discuss the pathophysiological, epidemiological and clinical evidence linking periodontal disease to Alzheimer's disease, as well as to explore the implications of this connection for integrated clinical practice from the perspective of Dental Neuroscience.
Keywords: Periodontal Disease; Alzheimer's Disease; Neurosciences; Dentistry; Neurodegenerative Diseases.
