Pay attention to your oral health, neglecting it could well put your brain at risk. According to a prepublication that will be presented at the congress International Stroke Conference 2023which will take place from February 8 to 10, oral health has an impact on that of our neurons. “A Poor oral health can lead to declining brain health. So we have to be very careful about our oral hygiene, because it has repercussions far beyond the mouth,” said study author Cyprien Rivier, a postdoctoral researcher in neurology at the Yale School of Medicine. in New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Brain: oral hygiene, an easily modifiable risk factor
Studies have already shown that gum disease, missing teeth and other signs of poor oral health, along with poor brushing habits and lack of plaque removal, increase the risk of stroke. Previous research has also found that gum disease and other oral health issues are linked to risk factors for heart disease and other conditions such as high blood pressure. “What is not clear is whether poor oral health affects brain healthi.e. the functional state of a person’s brain, which we are now able to better understand thanks to neuroimaging tools such as magnetic resonance imaging or MRI”, specifies the searcher.
“The study of oral health is particularly important because poor oral health is common and an easily modifiable risk factor – everyone can effectively improve their oral health with a minimum of time and financial investment”, specifies the author of the study.
In this study carried out between 2014 and 2021, the researchers of this study analyzed the potential link between poor oral health and brain health in approximately 40,000 adults (46% men with a mean age of 57 years) with no history of stroke enrolled in the UK Biobank. Participants were screened for 105 genetic variants known to predispose people to have cavities, dentures and missing teeth later in life.
Teeth: cavities increase decline in brain health
Result, Signs of poor brain health were screened using MRI images of the brains of participants with predispositions to oral problems. In particular, they cite white matter hyperintensification, defined as an accumulation of damage in the white matter of the brain, which may impair memory, balance and mobility. Microstructural damage to the fine architecture of the brain was also seen when compared to normal brain CT images of a healthy adult of the same age.
The researchers therefore believe that people genetically predisposed to cavities, to the loss of teeth – whether replaced by dentures or not – had a higher risk of developing certain brain diseases linked to cognitive decline. They presented indeed a higher burden of silent cerebrovascular disease, which was represented by a 24% increase in the amount of white matter hyperintensities visible on MRI images. People with genetically poor overall oral health had even greater damage to the fine architecture of the brain, as shown by the 43% change in microstructural damage scores visible on MRI images. .
Poor oral hygiene: repercussions far beyond the mouth
Poor oral health can lead to declining brain health
Cyprien Rivier, neurology researcher at Yale School.
“Poor oral health can lead to declining brain health. We must therefore be very careful with our oral hygiene, because it has repercussions far beyond the mouth,” said the author of the study. early treatment of poor oral health may therefore have beneficial effects important for brain health.
“However, this study is preliminary, and more evidence needs to be gathered – ideally through clinical trials – to confirm that improving oral health in the population will lead to brain health benefits“, he nuances. The authors also point out that genetic predispositions to poor oral health have a much lower impact than some other risk factors such as smoking.