Dementia and Alzheimer’s are two sides of the same coin. They affect the adult population over 65 years of age but whose early symptoms can manifest themselves as early as 50 years of age. There may be behaviors (diets, physical exercise, mnemonic exercises) that make it possible to delay the onset of the disease. Here is what we absolutely must do to prevent dementia and stroke that we often underestimate.
Studies on the subject are numerous and constantly evolving. The aim is to catch dementia before it’s too late. For example, you have to be very careful, because those with this symptom have a high probability of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Periodontitis and tooth loss
With periodontitis (or pyorrhea) we mean the infection of the periodontium, a support system that allows the roots of the teeth to remain anchored to the jaw bones. Periodontitis is caused by a group of bacterial plaque bacteria that cause a local inflammatory response. When this occurs, the end result is tooth loss.
Tooth loss is a major problem, not just related to aesthetics. The loss of teeth involves a change in the positioning of the tongue in the mouth, with difficulty in speaking, chewing, swallowing. In turn, these problems have repercussions on the social aspect, which is fundamental in old age, when individuals can find themselves dramatically alone.
Be careful because those with this symptom have a high probability of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s
There are numerous studies that tend to associate tooth loss with the possibility of having a form of dementia in the following years, including Alzheimer’s disease. In a very recent article (Qi X et al, 2021), the scientists collected data from all previous studies and analyzed them with statistical tools.
They found that adults who lost the most teeth had a 1.48 times greater risk of developing cognitive impairment and a 1.28 times greater risk of having dementia. Specifically, there was a dose-response relationship where each more missing tooth resulted in a greater likelihood of having dementia. Interestingly, the use of prostheses decreased this percentage.
The causes linking tooth loss to dementia are not well understood, although several interesting hypotheses have been made to be confirmed in subsequent studies. For example, tooth loss is thought to impair proper nutrition and this affects the functioning of the central nervous system. Another hypothesis is that the inflammation of periodontitis also causes inflammation of the central nervous system, with a consequent decrease in cognitive ability. Oral hygiene therefore becomes an additional resource for our well-being and is an important step for our general health.
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