Tooth loss is linked to a higher risk of dementia, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Conclusions that should alert health professionals to the care to be taken for the oral health of the elderly.
Japanese researchers conducted a study for 5 years 1566 elderly people. Their conclusions are final. Indeed, their study found a statistically remarkable link between tooth loss and elevated risk of dementia. Scientists have found that compared to older people with all or most of their teeth, individuals with 10 to 19 teeth have a 62% increased risk of dementia, those with only 1 to 9 teeth have an increased risk 81% of dementia, and edentulous people have a 63% increased risk of dementia.
According to the researchers, the loss of teeth would decrease the sensory inputs to the brain related to chewing and would accelerate the risk of dementia.
The Alzheimer’s diseaseaccording to the latest figures from the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), affect 860,000 people and the number of patients should reach two million in 2020. Alzheimer’s disease and related diseases represent the leading cause of age-related loss of intellectual functions.
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