Dementia and Gum Disease Weird Connection Can gum disease cause dementia? Yes, says a new mega study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Fortunately, there is something that you can do to prevent (or reverse) both gum disease and dementia. As many studies had already been done on oral health and dementia, the researchers behind this new study conducted a literature review, analyzing studies up to 2022 across five electronic journal databases.