Dental health linked to brain function
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Neurology: tooth loss linked to memory impairment
Researchers from Tohoku University (Japan) have linked the state of the oral cavity with the work of the human brain. The results of their work were published in the journal Neurology.
As it turned out, gum disease and tooth loss can be followed by a decrease in the volume of the hippocampus, which affects memory and the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
172 people, whose average age was 67 years with no memory problems (as determined by scientists) at the start of the study, had their teeth counted and checked for gum disease. They then scanned their brains and measured their volume.
The examination was repeated after 4 years, including dental.
It turned out that the number of teeth and the number of gum disease were associated with changes in the left hippocampus of the brain. In patients with mild gum disease, fewer teeth were associated with faster brain contraction in the hippocampus. In subjects with severe gum disease, having more teeth was associated with faster rates of brain contraction in the hippocampus.
When these data were superimposed on the age of study participants, it became clear that in people with mild gum disease, the rate of brain volume loss due to tooth loss was equivalent to almost 1 year of brain aging. And for those who had severe gum disease, the brain enlarged for the equivalent of 1.3 years of aging.
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