Patient Resources
Longer-form, referenced writing from Dr. Rowe on the connections between oral health and the rest of your body — without the hype.
Gum Disease and Alzheimer's Disease
February 2026 · 4 min readA gum-disease bacterium, P. gingivalis, has been found in the brain tissue of people with Alzheimer's. What that finding supports, what it does not, and what is worth doing about it.
Read the article → Tooth Loss & MemoryTooth Loss, Gum Disease and Dementia Risk
February 2026 · 4 min readPeople with fewer remaining teeth show higher rates of cognitive decline. The association is consistent — but the direction of cause is not simple.
Read the article → Whole-Body HealthGum Disease and Whole-Body Inflammation
February 2026 · 4 min readAdvanced gum disease leaves a hidden, inflamed wound around the teeth. Where that inflammation travels, what the evidence supports, and why treatment is safe in pregnancy.
Read the article → Sleep & HealthPoor Sleep, Cortisol and Weight Gain
June 2026 · 4 min readShort sleep alters hunger and fat-storage hormones within days. Untreated sleep apnea can keep that going night after night — and some early signs show up in the mouth.
Read the article →
How we write these
Every article here cites published research and says plainly where the evidence is strong, where it is only suggestive, and where the honest answer is that nobody knows yet. Dentistry has no shortage of confident claims about whole-body health; we would rather give you the caveats and let you decide.
Questions about anything you have read?
Bring it to your next visit, call 773-366-8718, or request a callback online. We would rather you asked.