As published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association (JAMDA), a new study provides evidence that tooth loss may predict cognitive decline. Dr. Bei Wu, Ph.D., Dean’s Professor in Global Health at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, and her colleagues conducted an analysis to determine a dose-response association between tooth loss and cognitive impairment. Their findings confirmed this relationship, thus concluding that adults with more tooth loss had a 1.4 percent increased risk of cognitive impairment and a 1.1 percent increased risk of being diagnosed with dementia.
Participants who had lost all of their teeth had a 54% higher risk of cognitive impairment and 40% higher risk of dementia. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 out of 6 adults aged 65 or older has lost all of their teeth. Tooth loss in older adults is often linked to problems with oral health, including poor oral hygiene, tooth cavities, and gum disease.
Dr. Wu and her colleagues further reported a decreased risk of cognitive decline in older adults who had dentures. These findings suggest that you can reduce the risk of cognitive impairment by seeking early treatment for tooth loss.
While the reasons for the association between tooth loss and diminished cognitive function are unclear, Dr. Wu and colleagues offer varied explanations. For one, when chewing is impaired, your body is deprived of essential nutrients. Consequently, this nutritional deficiency promotes changes in the brain, causing diminished cognitive function. Other risk factors for cognitive decline include gum disease (periodontal disease), subsequent tooth loss, and lifelong poor oral health due to socioeconomic disadvantages.
Dr. Wu’s study concluded that timely prosthodontic treatment with dentures might help prevent or slow down cognitive decline related to tooth loss.
If you have issues with tooth loss and would like to set up an appointment with Dr. Klemann at Distinctive Dentistry, please call (503) 698-4884. You may also request an appointment online.
