Orofacial pain and periodontal infections were more frequent in patients with mild AD than in healthy subjects. Orofacial pain screening and dental and oral exams should be routinely performed in AD patients in order to identify pathological conditions that need treatment thus improving quality of life compromised due to dementia.

The increased levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in this study suggests their implication in the overlapping mechanisms between oral infections and AD. Longitudinal studies are necessary for further investigation.

This study supports the notion that PD may affect TNF blocker efficacy in patients with RA. The possibility that a sustained gingival inflammatory state may hamper treatment response in this disease has high clinical interest because this is a treatable condition.

Oral infections may play a role in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Objective: To describe the orofacial pain, dental characteristics and associated factors in patients with Alzheimer's Disease that underwent dental treatment. Method: 29 patients with mild AD diagnosed by a neurologist were included. They fulfilled the Mini Mental State Exam and Pfeffer's questionnaire. A dentist performed a complete evaluation: clinical questionnaire; research diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders; McGill pain questionnaire; oral health impact profile; decayed, missing and filled teeth index; and complete periodontal investigation. The protocol was applied before and after the dental treatment. Periodontal treatments (scaling), extractions and topic nystatin were the most frequent. Results: There was a reduction in pain frequency (p=0.014), mandibular functional limitations (p=0.011) and periodontal indexes (p,0.05), and an improvement in quality of life (p=0.009) and functional impairment due to cognitive compromise (p,0.001) after the dental treatment. Orofacial complaints and intensity of pain also diminished. Conclusion: The dental treatment contributed to reduce co-morbidities associated with AD and should be routinely included in the assessment of these patients.Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, oral infections, orofacial pain, periodontal disease, dental treatment. RESUMOInfecções orais podem ter um papel na doença de Alzheimer (DA). Objetivo: Descrever as características orofaciais, dor, odontológicas e fatores associados em doentes com DA submetidos a tratamento dentário. Método: 29 doentes diagnosticados com DA por neurologista foram avaliados através do Mini Exame do Estado Mental e questionário Pfeffer. O exame odontológico foi realizado antes e depois do tratamento dentário e incluiu: questionário clínico; critérios diagnósticos de pesquisa para disfunção temporomandibular; questionário de dor McGill; protocolo de impacto de saúde oral; dentes cariados, perdidos e obturados; e avaliação periodontal. Os procedimentos mais frequentes foram raspagem periodontal, exodontias e prescrição de nistatina tópica. Resultados: Houve uma redução na frequência de dor (p=0,014), limitações mandibulares (p=0,011), índices periodontais (p,0.05), e melhora na qualidade de vida (p=0,009) e no comprometimento funcional e cognitivo (p,0,001) após o tratamento dentário. Queixas orofaciais e intensidade de dor também diminuíram. Conclusão: O tratamento dentário contribuiu para reduzir comorbidades associadas à DA e deveria ser incluído na rotina de avaliação desses pacientes.Palavras-chave: doença de Alzheimer, infecções orais, dor orofacial, doença periodontal, tratamento dentário.In the last century the world population got older, and since then there has been a growing interest in maintaining health and an active and functional life in the third age. The frequency of elderly people with chronic diseases is high (20%-35%), and many of them are fragile (2%-10%) 1 .Neurodegenerative diseases cause severe morbidity, and among ...