Reporter Park Jeong-ryeol of Money Today | 2023.08.05 09:30
Health management in the age of aging, ‘Gun Tech’ (108) Oral disease and dementia
Editorial comment | Money Today publishes ‘Gun Tech’, health management in the aging era. We will deliver health care tips in the age of 100-year-old aging.
Joong-Hyun Ahn, Director of Irom Dental Clinic External contributor – Joong-Hyeon Ahn, Director of Irom Dental Clinic Working at the dentist, I often meet each patient on a regular basis. There are a variety of patients, such as patients who come for regular checkups and patients who visit the dentist for scaling that is covered by insurance once a year. I also see a child who went to the dentist with his parents climb up into a chair. I also watch the process of the patient getting older, but I often meet patients who visit the hospital with their guardians because it is difficult to visit the hospital alone due to deterioration in cognitive function or dementia.
Most people with dementia have poor oral health. This is because oral care is not good due to cognitive decline, treatment cooperation is poor, and it is more difficult to receive dental treatment than before. It is common sense that dementia patients have poor oral health, but in fact, many people do not know that the opposite is also true.
In recent years, studies have shown that poor oral health increases the risk of dementia. The main reason for this is the loss of teeth, pain, and the inability to perform ‘masticatory movements’ to chew food. When teeth and gums are healthy, proper stimulation is applied to the brain while eating. Conversely, if the masticatory exercise is not performed properly, the stimulation transmitted to the brain is reduced, preventing the remodeling of brain tissue, and reducing the amount of blood directed to the brain, which can lead to a decrease in cognitive function. This is why, when teeth are lost due to periodontal disease or tooth decay (dental caries), the masticatory function should be restored as soon as possible with dentures and implants.
Even if you have not lost teeth, if your gums are not healthy, the risk of dementia can increase. Serious periodontal disease even with a large number of teeth
In this case, the speed at which the volume of the hippocampus, the brain’s memory center, decreases rapidly, resulting in memory loss. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) derived from P. gingivalis, which causes periodontal disease, is often found in the brains of Alzheimer’s disease patients.
Restoring oral health is very important to prevent or slow the progression of dementia. Here are two of the most basic methods. The first is to brush your teeth regularly and use dental floss and interdental brushes. If it is difficult to use a toothbrush or dental floss due to old age or lack of exercise ability, you should use an electric toothbrush or mouthwash to thoroughly remove food and plaque that cause periodontal disease.
The second is to increase the frequency of dental visits. There are areas that cannot be reached even with hard brushing and flossing, and tartar that has already formed cannot be removed unless you visit the dentist. Periodontal disease can be prevented by getting regular scaling at the dentist to remove tartar well. If it is burdensome to receive full scaling, you can also partially scale only areas with tartar or inflammation.
[저작권자 @머니투데이, 무단전재 및 재배포 금지]
2023-08-05 00:30:00
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