Can Tooth Loss Cause Dementia?
Posted by cyberanto on May 17, 2008
It was always understood that people suffering from dementia had a higher risk of losing their teeth by poor oral hygiene. But new research has shown that people who lose their teeth prematurely are more likely to later develop dementia.
The study was conducted with 144 Catholic nuns who all had the ages between 75 and 98 years. The study lasted 12 years and has demonstrated that the nuns that had between 0 and 9 teeth in their mouths were more likely to develop dementia than the ones who had more than 10 teeth.
Although the exact relationship between tooth loss and dementia remains to be shown, the results of this research are another good reason to maintain good dental hygiene and to visit the dentist regularly.
Full Article: The Loss of Teeth May Be Linked to Dementia In French: Est-ce que la perte des dents peut causer la démence?
May 17, 2008 at 4:07 am
[...] Voir aussi en anglais. [...]
June 14, 2008 at 1:38 am
Maybe the higher rate of dementia in patients with few teeth has to do with the patients ability to maintain a healthy diet.
June 15, 2008 at 2:52 am
That is a very interesting hypothesis Sheryl.