Can oral microbial infections be a risk factor for neurodegeneration? A review of the literature

Abstract

Neurodegenerative diseases, e.g., Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, etc., are serious life-threatening diseases, which involve degeneration of the neurons with time. Numerous studies have discussed the role of microbes in neurodegeneration. Oral cavity being the primary site of infection acts as a gateway for gigantic population of microbes to the human body. Oral infection is known to be associated with neurodegeneration. The current review summarizes various mechanisms due to which the oral microbiome can cause neurodegeneration.

Keywords: Neurodegeneration; oral infection; possible mechanism of neurodegeneration; systemic communication.