Tooth loss linked to dementia

Tooth loss can be related to the development of dementia later in life. Dementia is a condition characterised by a chronic decline in mental abilities, especially memory. The higher functions of humans include memory, orientation in time and place, intelligence, reasoning, speech, self-care etc. Dementia implies an overall reduction in these functions. Numerous studies have linked dementia to the subsequent deterioration of oral health. In addition to gum disease, early-life nutritional deficiencies, infections or chronic diseases may result simultaneously in tooth loss and damage to the brain. It is also felt that edentulism or very few (one to nine) teeth may be a predictor of dementia late in life. To examine the relation between tooth loss and dementia, researchers at the College of Medicine, University of Kentucky analysed dental records and brain function test results accumulated over 12 years for 144 people enrolled in the Nun Study - a long-term study of aging and Alzheimer's disease among Catholic sisters of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. The participants ranged in age from 75 to 98 years. Neuropathologic findings at autopsy were available for 118 participants who died. The results indicated that a low number of teeth increased the risk of higher prevalence and incidence of dementia. Roughly one third of subjects with fewer than nine teeth, or no teeth, had dementia at the first cognitive exam. Among subjects free of dementia at the first cognitive exam, those with no teeth or fewer than nine teeth had a greater than 2-fold increased risk of becoming demented later in life compared with those who had 10 or more teeth. Thus, it is very important to take care of one's teeth, to keep the risk of dementia at bay.