Parents and teachers often emphasize the importance of brushing one's teeth to maintain oral hygiene.
Little did we know that, aside from having good oral health, there is also another benefit to having a clean and complete set of teeth: better memory and executive functioning. There is a connection between tooth loss and cognitive impairment, new research shows.
A study conducted in Canada aims to systematically examine if losing teeth could be associated with cognitive impairment and its pathologic correlates, such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers identified eligible study reports through various databases, namely MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library and PsycoINFO. They provide a hazard ratio of 95 percent confidence. From 1,251 articles identified, 10 were included in the systematic review. Eight were placed under meta-analysis.
Research showed that people who have fewer than 20 teeth also have a 20 percent higher chance of developing cognitive impairment and dementia than individuals with more than 20 teeth.
The results of the study showed high risk for developing dementia and other cognitive impairment disorders caused by loss of teeth.
It is interesting to note that recent neuroimaging studies have proven how areas of the brain associated with learning and memory are activated during chewing activities.
"In fact, these studies revealed that masticatory activities increase cerebral blood flow and cognitive task performance," the study revealed.
The study suggests that it is important to have a greater understanding of the nature and extent of oral health in relation to cognitive function.
Intervention could help prevent cognitive decline. Thus, introducing better oral health strategies to aging members of society could reduce other systemic disorders and diseases.
Cognitive disorders among the aging sector of society become a significant burden for healthcare systems.
"About 25 million people suffer from dementia worldwide, with an incidence of 4.6 million per year," the researchers note.
The study was published in JDR Clinical & Translational Research.
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