Going to the dentist can seem like a chore. But one study reveals that it’s really helpful to have regular checkups, as they may help you stave off dementia.
Finnish researchers found that people with gum disease and tooth loss were about a fifth more likely to have this severe condition.
It suggests that “monitoring and management” of dental health can be key in preventing the condition, the experts said. Over the past decade, several studies have revealed a similar link between poor oral health and dementia.
It has led some researchers to speculate that the condition could be caused by gum disease itself. The bacteria that cause bleeding gums can reach the brain, where medics think they may harm the organ.
But even with the new study, there’s no evidence that poor oral health definitely causes dementia.
Correlation can actually occur for the opposite reason. Experts say people in the early stages may forget to brush their teeth.
The latest research, in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Association, pooled data from 47 previous studies that looked at the relationship between cognitive decline or dementia and oral health. Most only looked at people over 65, and tracked their health for less than a decade.
Academics from the University of Eastern Finland in Kuopio studied papers on periodontitis – a severe form of gum disease.
The condition can cause jawbone loss, cavities under the teeth and damage to the connective tissue that keeps the teeth in place.
It can be prevented by brushing the teeth to remove the plaque before it hardens into tartar, a hard, cement-like substance that can only be removed professionally.
Dr. Sam Asher and colleagues also studied papers on tooth loss as a result of severe gum disease.
They searched all available numbers, which include thousands of people and their medical records, to uncover the link.
According to the analysis, people with gum disease and missing teeth were up to 23% more likely to develop cognitive decline or dementia.
But the team said the quality of the evidence was poor.
“From a clinical perspective, our findings underscore the importance of monitoring and managing periodontal health in the context of dementia prevention,” the researchers said in the journal. The available evidence is not yet sufficient to indicate clear ways of early identification of individuals at risk, and the most effective measures to prevent cognitive decline.” RT