July 22nd World Brain Day...Gum disease, which threatens brain health, should be prevented with proper oral care
Jul 21, 2025
As the world ages, interest in brain health is increasing.
Every year, July 22nd is the "World Brain Day" established by the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) to prevent and raise awareness of brain diseases.
The World Federation of Neurology, which set the theme of this year's campaign as 'Brain Health for All Ages', emphasizes the importance of brain health throughout life from birth to old age.
The incidence of cerebrovascular disease in Korea is increasing year by year. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service's announcement in 2023 'The current status of cerebrovascular disease treatment in the last five years (2018-2022), the number of cerebrovascular disease patients in 2022 was 1,171,534, up 21.1% from 2018 (967,311). In particular, the number of patients increased the most among men in their 20s and women in their 30s.
Cerebral vascular disease, which causes blood flow to the brain when blood vessels in the brain become clogged or burst, can lead to serious brain health problems such as stroke and vascular dementia. It is commonly known to originate from systemic diseases such as high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes, but gum disease is also attracting attention as a risk factor that can affect brain health.
According to a meta-analysis by an international joint research team published earlier this year in the international journal 『Brain Sciences』, people with periodontitis have about 2.3 times higher risk of stroke than those who do not. In addition, a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) in 2022 reported that periodontal health deterioration was significantly associated with cognitive decline and dementia.
As such, gum disease is a problem that is directly connected to general health, especially brain health, beyond simple oral diseases.
However, gum disease can be prevented sufficiently with proper oral care.
Plague, the main culprit of gum disease, is formed by combining bacteria and food waste in the mouth. Since it builds up intensively in the interdental and gum lines, the two areas should be cleaned with the most care. Recommended by the Korean Oral Health Association, 'Standard Gum Brushing Method (Modified Bath Method)' is a method of holding a toothbrush lightly like a pencil, putting a toothbrush head at a 45-degree angle to the gum line, and vibrating lightly 5 to 10 times in place. After that, use your wrist to wipe the bristles from the gums to the teeth.
In order to properly practice the standard gum brushing method, it is important to remove plaque and not strain the gums. If it is difficult to implement micro-vibration with a manual toothbrush, using a sonic electric toothbrush can be a good alternative. The sonic electric toothbrush gently cleans the interdental and gum lines with air bubbles generated by fine sonic vibrations, reducing the risk of gum damage due to excessive force.
In fact, clinical results from Philips Sonicare showed 29.99% reduction in gingivitis, 74.08% reduction in gum bleeding, and 28.66% reduction in plaque in the population using the '9900 Prestige' model, a sonic electric toothbrush. On the other hand, gingivitis increased by 1.84% in the manual toothbrush group, gum bleeding decreased by 24.72%, and plaque decreased by 0.87%.
To prevent gum disease, brushing your teeth is also important. It is recommended to start brushing your teeth within 1 minute after eating food and to brush for at least 2 minutes. If you eat three meals a day, you should practice brushing your teeth three times a day after breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Park Yong-deok, chairman of the Korean Oral Health Association, said, `Although gum disease can be prevented only with the right brushing habits, about 1.9 million people visited the hospital last year due to this diseaseWe will actively support the association through continuous promotion and education so that more people can practice the standard gum brushing method effective in preventing gum disease in their daily lives," he said.
Every year, July 22nd is the "World Brain Day" established by the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) to prevent and raise awareness of brain diseases.
The World Federation of Neurology, which set the theme of this year's campaign as 'Brain Health for All Ages', emphasizes the importance of brain health throughout life from birth to old age.
The incidence of cerebrovascular disease in Korea is increasing year by year. According to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service's announcement in 2023 'The current status of cerebrovascular disease treatment in the last five years (2018-2022), the number of cerebrovascular disease patients in 2022 was 1,171,534, up 21.1% from 2018 (967,311). In particular, the number of patients increased the most among men in their 20s and women in their 30s.
Cerebral vascular disease, which causes blood flow to the brain when blood vessels in the brain become clogged or burst, can lead to serious brain health problems such as stroke and vascular dementia. It is commonly known to originate from systemic diseases such as high blood pressure, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes, but gum disease is also attracting attention as a risk factor that can affect brain health.
According to a meta-analysis by an international joint research team published earlier this year in the international journal 『Brain Sciences』, people with periodontitis have about 2.3 times higher risk of stroke than those who do not. In addition, a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) in 2022 reported that periodontal health deterioration was significantly associated with cognitive decline and dementia.
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However, gum disease can be prevented sufficiently with proper oral care.
Plague, the main culprit of gum disease, is formed by combining bacteria and food waste in the mouth. Since it builds up intensively in the interdental and gum lines, the two areas should be cleaned with the most care. Recommended by the Korean Oral Health Association, 'Standard Gum Brushing Method (Modified Bath Method)' is a method of holding a toothbrush lightly like a pencil, putting a toothbrush head at a 45-degree angle to the gum line, and vibrating lightly 5 to 10 times in place. After that, use your wrist to wipe the bristles from the gums to the teeth.
In order to properly practice the standard gum brushing method, it is important to remove plaque and not strain the gums. If it is difficult to implement micro-vibration with a manual toothbrush, using a sonic electric toothbrush can be a good alternative. The sonic electric toothbrush gently cleans the interdental and gum lines with air bubbles generated by fine sonic vibrations, reducing the risk of gum damage due to excessive force.
In fact, clinical results from Philips Sonicare showed 29.99% reduction in gingivitis, 74.08% reduction in gum bleeding, and 28.66% reduction in plaque in the population using the '9900 Prestige' model, a sonic electric toothbrush. On the other hand, gingivitis increased by 1.84% in the manual toothbrush group, gum bleeding decreased by 24.72%, and plaque decreased by 0.87%.
To prevent gum disease, brushing your teeth is also important. It is recommended to start brushing your teeth within 1 minute after eating food and to brush for at least 2 minutes. If you eat three meals a day, you should practice brushing your teeth three times a day after breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Park Yong-deok, chairman of the Korean Oral Health Association, said, `Although gum disease can be prevented only with the right brushing habits, about 1.9 million people visited the hospital last year due to this diseaseWe will actively support the association through continuous promotion and education so that more people can practice the standard gum brushing method effective in preventing gum disease in their daily lives," he said.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
