Mouth Bacteria Can Invade and Degenerate the Brain

Anecdata: I went through brain surgery to remove an abscess caused by strep from my mouth. I brush twice-a-day, floss daily, no gum disease. This infection came about ten days after a very routine dental cleaning (not at all remarkable, hygienist said ‘keep up the good work’ or suchlike).

I ‘got lucky’ two ways: The strep that had invaded my brain was the ‘slow’ variety that often gets on people’s heart valves — and I had a spectacularly good neurosurgery and infectious disease teams.

Even then, I came withing a hair’s breadth of not making it. Had to spend time in rehab learning to walk again.

My surgeon told me that there are about a hundred cases a year of this in the US, but it’s much more prevalent in India, where he’s from.