Taking good care of your teeth may prove to be good for your brain, according to a study published in July of this year in Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Researchers found that gum disease and tooth loss were linked to brain shrinkage in the area of the brain that plays a role in memory and Alzheimer’s – the hippocampus. Although the study only proved an association between oral health and Alzheimer’s, it did highlight the importance of maintaining healthy teeth and gums.
According to study author Satoshi Yamaguchi, PhD, DDS, of Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan, “…inflammation of the tissue around the teeth that can cause shrinkage of the gums and loosening of the teeth, are very common, so evaluating a potential link with dementia is incredibly important.” The study found that tooth loss and gum disease may play a role in the health of the brain area that controls thinking and memory, giving people another reason to take better care of their teeth.
The 172 participants had dental exams and took memory tests, and the number of teeth and the severity of gum disease were measured. In addition, brain scans to measure the size of the hippocampus were taken at the beginning of the study, and again four years later. Participants with mild gum disease and fewer teeth, as well as those with severe gum disease and more teeth, both showed a faster rate of shrinkage in the left hippocampus than other participants.
“These results highlight the importance of preserving the health of the teeth and not just retaining the teeth,” Yamaguchi said. “The findings suggest that retaining teeth with severe gum disease is associated with brain atrophy. Controlling the progression of gum disease through regular dental visits is crucial, and teeth with severe gum disease may need to be extracted and replaced with appropriate prosthetic devices.”
Read more at Science Daily: “Taking good care of your teeth may be good for your brain”.
