Going to the dentist can save you from dementia

Finnish scientists have found that people with gum disease and tooth loss are five times more likely to develop the disease!

Dental “monitoring” is the key to preventing dementia, experts say.

Over the past decade, several studies have found a similar link between poor oral health and dementia.

This has led some researchers to speculate that the bacteria that cause gums to bleed may enter the brain, harming it. But even with the new study, there is no evidence that poor oral health is a 100% cause of dementia. The Finnish study is purely observational.

The connection may also occur for the opposite reason: people in the earliest stages of the disease may forget to brush their teeth.

Around 900,000 people are thought to be living with dementia in the UK. In the US, the figure is about seven times higher, according to charities.

The latest study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, pooled data from 47 previous studies that examined the relationship between cognitive decline or dementia and oral health. Most newspapers only looked at people over 65 and tracked their health for less than ten years.

Scientists from the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio also studied articles on periodontitis, a severe form of gum disease. This disease can lead to loss of jaw bone, gaps under the teeth, and damage to the connective tissue that holds the teeth in place. All of this can be prevented by brushing your teeth to remove plaque before it hardens into tartar, a cement-like hard substance that can only be removed by a professional.

Dr. Sam Asher and colleagues also reviewed articles on tooth loss as a result of severe gum disease. They looked at all available numbers, including thousands of people and their medical records, to see if there was a connection.

According to the analysis, people with gum disease and missing teeth were 23% more likely to have cognitive impairment or dementia. But the scientists say this is not sufficient evidence for the new theory: “From a clinical perspective, our results highlight the importance of periodontal monitoring and management in the context of dementia prevention. The available data are not yet sufficient to indicate clear ways to identify individuals at risk early and the most effective interventions to prevent cognitive decline.”

Christina DENISYUK.

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