The growing importance

Research connecting oral health with systemic diseases, including Alzheimer’s, is gaining increasing recognition. With an ageing population, dementia cases in the UK are expected to rise significantly, placing further strain on the NHS and families. This growing issue highlights the importance of preventive oral health care, particularly better oral hygiene for the elderly population.

Alzheimer’s disease currently affects over 900,000 people in the UK, and this number is projected to rise to 1.4m by 2040. Alzheimer’s accounts for 60-70 per cent of dementia cases and primarily affects older adults, although early-onset cases occur in those under 65.

While treatments have mainly focused on managing symptoms, the development of drugs that slow disease progression is advancing. In 2023, Finland’s Brain Foundation reported that 141 new drugs for Alzheimer’s were in clinical trials, with 79 per cent targeting the slowing of disease progression.