- The loss of teeth and gum disease may be associated with a reduction in brain volume that reflects the atrophy of brain tissue, a new study shows.
- The affected area of the brain is involved in cognition, thus linking dental problems to loss of cognitive function and Alzheimer’s disease.
- For people without severe gum disease, having fewer teeth was linked to brain volume loss.
- Although the findings suggest a strong link between dental issues and brain volume loss, whether one causes the other is unclear.
A new study finds an association between tooth loss, gum disease, or
Whether poor dental health causes the loss of brain volume or the other way around was beyond the scope of the study. Nonetheless, its findings suggest that good dental health should be prioritized for brain health.
According to the study, a missing tooth was the equivalent of brain shrinkage of nearly an additional year of brain aging, and severe gum disease was equal to 1.3 years of brain aging.
The area of the brain found to be associated with poorer dental health is the left side of the
The study involved 172 community-dwelling Japanese individuals. They were an average aages 55 years or older. At study outset, they received thorough dental and periodontal exams, as well as memory tests in which they exhibited no evidence of cognitive decline.
Twice, four years apart, each participant’s brain volume was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and they received additional oral examinations measuring gum disease and tooth loss.
The researchers found that of those without significant gum disease, having fewer teeth corresponded with a greater reduction in hippocampal volume….
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