Important in Alzheimer’s disease
According to the researchers, who are affiliated with Japan’s Tohoku University in Sendai, it has been established that there is a measurable correlation between the degree of inflammation in your gums (gingivitis), the number of teeth and the rate at which the left hippocampus in the brain shrinks.
The hippocampus is especially important for memory. Therefore, it plays a key role in the development of Alzheimer’s. However, the Japanese study does not prove that gingivitis or tooth loss causes Alzheimer’s – only the connection has been exposed.
Another reason to take good care of your teeth
Losing teeth and gingivitis, inflamed tissue around the teeth, is common. So it is an important discovery that a link with dementia has now been established,’ explains study leader Satoshi Yamaguchi, PhD student and dental surgeon.
“Our research shows that these factors may play a role in the part of the brain that deals with thinking and memory, giving people yet another good reason to take better care of their teeth,” he continues.
Gums checked and teeth counted
The research was performed on a group of 172 people with an average age of 67 years. None of the participants had memory problems at the start of the study.
All participants had their teeth and gums examined and their memory tested prior to the study. The researchers also performed brain scans to determine the size of their linkerhippocampus both before and four years after the study.
The researchers counted the teeth of all subjects and also checked for gingivitis by measuring the extent to which the gums had receded. The more retracted, the worse the inflammation.
When they then compared the number of teeth and the degree of gingivitis to the size of the hippocampus, they saw a clear pattern.
One year of brain aging per tooth
In people with mild gingivitis, tooth loss was associated with more rapid shrinkage of the left hippocampus. On the other hand, it was striking to see that in people with advanced gingivitis, more teeth were associated with a faster shrinkage of the hippocampus.
After adjusting for age differences, the Japanese researchers found that in participants with mild gingivitis, one tooth less corresponded to one year of accelerated brain aging. In people with advanced gingivitis, one extra tooth corresponded to 1.3 years of brain aging.
The study emphatically does not prove that more teeth is an advantage in one case and the opposite in the other. The research only shows that in some cases it is better to remove diseased and bad teeth in order to maintain healthier gums and protect the brain.
‘Our study emphasizes the importance of healthy teeth and gums, and that it may not be necessary to prevent teeth falling out at all costs. Retaining unhealthy teeth with advanced gingivitis is associated with cerebral atrophy,” said Satoshi Yamaguchi, who recommends removing these teeth and replacing them with dental prostheses.
2023-07-18 10:34:27
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