Faculty Bibliography

Dementia and Alzheimer's disease are common occurrences in the population, affecting many patients. Recent research and studies have found a link between oral biofilm and the initiation of these conditions or the worsening of their presentation. Periodontal disease and the associated oral biofilm with its bacteria are often not considered by the medical community when treating these or their patients. Coordination of therapy with a dentist can improve the patient's oral health. Decreasing bacteria in the oral biofilm allows the physician and dentist to provide coordinated total healthcare. Emphasis and education of the patient on the importance of maintaining good oral homecare and routine dental recall prophylaxis appointments to improve their systemic health and limit the progression and worsening of mental health conditions. This article discusses the connection between oral biofilm and systemic health, specifically Alzheimer's disease, and how to improve those conditions through oral healthcare.

We report two patients in whom bullets in the brain migrated into the adjacent lateral ventricle and moved freely as a consequence of gravity. A review of the literature suggests that the spontaneous migration of intracerebral bullets is influenced by cerebral softening, the specific gravity of the bullet compared with brain tissue, and the sink function of the cerebral ventricles. In patients undergoing the surgical removal of intracerebral or intraventricular bullets, it is recommended that an x-ray be obtained after the final positioning of the head