Don’t Forget to Floss and Floss So You Don’t Forget: Evidence Linking Periodontal Disease and Dementias

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Learning Objectives:

• ​Examine current scientific insights into the prevalence, etiology, and progression of dementia to strengthen clinical awareness and diagnostic confidence.
• Identify and clearly communicate the emerging connections between periodontal disease, oral pathogens, and neuroinflammatory pathways linked to Alzheimer’s Disease.
• Apply practical, patient centered strategies to improve communication, reduce care resistant behaviors, and deliver effective oral hygiene and dental treatment to individuals with dementia.
• ​Assess individual risk factors and oral health status to design targeted, evidence-based interventions that reduce caries and periodontal disease in cognitively impaired patients.

Presenter Qualifications:

Mia L. Geisinger, DDS, MS, is Professor, Chair, and Director of Advanced Education in Periodontology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). She earned her BS in Biology from Duke University, her DDS from Columbia University, and her MS and Certificate in Periodontology and Implantology from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. A Diplomate of the American Board of Periodontology and a Fellow of the International Team for Implantology, the International College of Dentists, and the American College of Dentists, Dr. Geisinger has held numerous national leadership roles, including President of the American Academy of Periodontology Foundation, Chair of the ADA Council on Scientific Affairs, and member of the Board of Directors for the ADA Science and Research Institute. She currently serves as Immediate Past President of the AAP. Dr. Geisinger has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications, serves on multiple editorial boards, and lectures nationally and internationally. Her research focuses on periodontal–systemic interactions, implant therapy in the periodontally compromised patient, and innovative strategies for soft and hard tissue regeneration.