Periodonitis and Alzheimer's Disease

To assess the possible association of Periodontal Disease with Alzheimer's Disease, I propose to carry out an observational, paired and cross-sectional study. It will be evaluated whether adult patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease have a higher prevalence of Periodontal Disease when compared to adult patients without Alzheimer's Disease. As well, it will be evaluated whether adult patients with different stages of Alzheimer's disease have different stages of severity of Periodontitis. The study sample will be obtained from the Associação Portuguesa de Alzheimer, in the Lisbon region, consisting of adult patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease (test group). The control group sample will consist of patients who attend consultations at the Faculty of Dental Medicine, University of Lisbon, matched for age, gender and other confounding factors, such as tobacco and systemic diseases (diabetes).