April 29, 2024

Bad Dental Health Linked to a Greater Risk of Dementia

Referral: “Periodontal health, cognitive decrease, and dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies” by Sam Asher, MPH, Ruth Stephen, Ph.D., Päivi Mäntylä, Ph.D., Anna Liisa Suominen, Ph.D. and Alina Solomon, Ph.D., 8 September 2022, Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.DOI: 10.1111/ jgs.17978.

Missing teeth alone was linked to a 13% greater danger of dementia.
New research study shows missing teeth and poor gum health might raise the risk of both cognitive decline and dementia.
According to an evaluation of all appropriate studies in the medical literature, having poor gum health and losing teeth may raise your possibility of establishing dementia and cognitive decline.
47 research studies were consisted of in the analysis, which was released in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. A 23% higher possibility of cognitive decline and a 21% greater danger of dementia was linked to bad gum health (suggested by periodontitis, missing teeth, deep gum pockets, or alveolar bone loss). Tooth loss alone was connected with a 23% increased danger of cognitive deterioration and a 13% increased opportunity of dementia. However, the overall quality of proof was low.
” From a medical perspective, our findings stress the significance of tracking and management of gum health in the context of dementia avoidance, although the available evidence is not yet enough to explain clear methods for early identification of at-risk people, and the most effective steps to avoid cognitive degeneration,” the authors wrote.