Newsweek Reports: Scientists Draw Connection Between Dental Health and Dementia
If you thought bad breath was the most severe repercussion of neglecting your dental hygiene, think again: Gum disease and tooth loss may lead to brain shrinkage.
According to a study conducted by scientists in Japan, gum disease and tooth loss appear to be linked to a reduction in size of the hippocampus, a part of the brain responsible for memory that is frequently affected in Alzheimer’s patients.
It is estimated that nearly half of all U.S. adults over 30 display symptoms of gum disease, while 9 percent exhibit signs of advanced gum disease, as per data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Simultaneously, Alzheimer’s is ranked as the sixth top cause of death among adults in the U.S.
But what is the connection between our dental and brain health?
Satoshi Yamaguchi, a researcher at Tohoku University and author of the study, explained to Newsweek that “prior studies have revealed that chronic inflammation outside the brain may escalate the risk of dementia and facilitate hippocampal atrophy or brain shrinkage.”
He further elaborated, “Periodontal disease, a form of chronic inflammation in the mouth, may negatively impact the hippocampus through inflammation. Additionally, it’s been theorized that the microbes responsible for gum disease could potentially infiltrate the brain and harm nerve tissue.”
When it comes to tooth loss, Yamaguchi suggested that the loss of teeth could decrease the stimulation from chewing, which has been previously linked to brain shrinkage.
However, Yamaguchi emphasized that the study doesn’t establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship between gum disease and brain shrinkage. He stated, “Our study only indicated an association between the number of teeth, periodontal disease, and the rate of hippocampal atrophy.”
He also noted that the correlation between tooth loss and brain health could be influenced by other variables, such as age, which correlates with a decrease in the number of teeth and increased rate of hippocampal atrophy.
The study, published in the Neurology journal on Wednesday, was restricted to participants aged 55 and above and included a relatively small sample size of 172 individuals.
“We need to verify the broader applicability of our findings by conducting further research on a larger and more diverse population,” stated Yamaguchi. “Subsequent intervention studies will be required to confirm the causal relationship and shed light on the mechanism” behind these associations.
Despite these limitations, the study provides compelling evidence suggesting that preserving good dental hygiene could safeguard us against neurological diseases in later life. “It might be better to remove teeth affected by severe, hard-to-treat periodontal disease and replace them with suitable dentures, instead of retaining the affected teeth at any cost,” Yamaguchi advised.
He further warned that gum disease is a “silent disease” that can progress to severe stages without causing pain. “Moreover, there are no distinct guidelines for when to remove a tooth affected by periodontal disease. Therefore, regular visits to a reliable dentist are crucial,” he concluded.
