2023-07-06 15:35:10
Taking good care of your teeth may be linked to better brain health, according to a study published online in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The researchers point out that these results do not prove that gum disease or tooth loss cause Alzheimer’s disease, but only show an association.
The study found that gum disease and tooth loss were linked to brain shrinkage in the hippocampus, which plays a role in memory and Alzheimer’s disease.
“Tooth loss and gum disease, which is inflammation of the tissue surrounding the teeth that can cause gum receding and loosening of the teeth, are very common, so evaluating a possible link with dementia is incredibly important,” says study author Satoshi Yamaguchi, of Tohoku University, Japan. Our study found that these conditions may play a role in the health of the brain area that controls thinking and memory, giving people another reason to take better care of their teeth.”
The study involved 172 people with an average age of 67 who had no memory problems at the start of the study.
Participants underwent dental exams and memory tests at the start of the study. They also underwent brain scans to measure hippocampal volume at the start of the study and again four years later.
The researchers counted the number of teeth in each participant and checked for gum disease by depth of periodontal surveys, a measure of gum tissue. Healthy readings range from one to three millimeters.
Mild periodontal disease involves probing depths of 3 to 4 millimeters in various areas, while severe periodontal disease involves probing depths of 5 to 6 millimeters in various areas, as well as increased bone loss, and can cause teeth to split. loosen and end up falling off.
The researchers found that the number of teeth and the amount of gum disease were related to changes in the left hippocampus of the brain.
For people with mild periodontal disease, have fewer teeth was associated with a faster rate of brain shrinkage in the left hippocampus. However, for people with severe periodontal disease, having more teeth was associated with a faster rate of brain shrinkage in the same area of the brain.
After adjusting for age, the researchers found that for people with mild periodontal disease, the increased rate of brain shrinkage due to one fewer tooth was equivalent to almost a year of brain aging. By contrast, for people with severe periodontal disease, the increase in brain shrinkage due to one fewer tooth was equivalent to 1.3 years of brain aging.
“These results highlight the importance of preserving the health of the teeth and not just preserving them,” says Yamaguchi. The findings suggest that retaining teeth with severe gum disease is associated with brain atrophy. Control the progression of gum disease through regular visits to the dentist is crucial, and teeth with severe gum disease may need to be extracted and replaced with suitable dentures.”
Yamaguchi notes that future studies with larger groups of people are needed.
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