Gum disease could be linked to higher risk of dementia, especially in severe cases
- Gum disease may be linked to dementia later in life, according to new research.
- In a study of thousands of people, researchers found those with severe gum disease and tooth loss were 20% to 50% more likely to develop dementia than those with healthy teeth and gums.
- There's not yet enough evidence to show that gum disease causes dementia, however, so more research is needed to see whether dental health could help prevent cognitive decline as we age.
There's even more evidence that taking good care of teeth and gums could play and important role in keeping the brain healthy as you age.
That's because gum disease, which can result from not brushing, flossing, or otherwise keeping up with dental hygiene, may be linked to increased risk of dementia, according to a study published July 29 in Neurology.
Researchers from several universities studied 4,559 participants, who did not have signs of dementia at the start of the study, over an average of about 18 years to assess their gum health and whether they developed dementia or cognitive decline later in life.
They found that participants with severe gum disease resulting in some tooth loss were 20% more likely to have developed dementia, including Alzheimer's disease. That risk increased to 50% for people who lost all their teeth.
This was true even after accounting for other factors linked to dementia risk such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and smoking. Researchers did not find an association between mild cases of gum disease and cognitive decline.
Although researchers don't yet understand how it works, previous research has suggested that bacteria in the accumulating in the mouth to cause gum disease might have damaging effects on the brain. Gum disease is also associated with other forms of chronic illness that can increase the risk of dementia.
While this study supports previous evidence suggesting a link between forms of dementia and gum disease, more research is needed to show causation. One limitation of this study was that participants were 63 years old on average, making it possible that cognitive decline was present before signs of gum disease.
"Good dental hygiene is a proven way to keep healthy teeth and gums throughout your lifetime. Our study does not prove that an unhealthy mouth causes dementia and only shows an association," Ryan T. Demmer, study co-author and professor of epidemiology and public health and the University of Minnesota, said in a press release.
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