A new review of available medical evidence suggests that poor periodontal health could have a concerning effect on cognitive decline and dementia.
The review included 47 studies (24 for cognitive decline and 23 for dementia).
Researchers were able to extrapolate several key points:
- “Poor periodontal health might contribute to the risk of both cognitive decline and dementia, although existing evidence has low quality and does not fully exclude reverse causality.
- “Tooth loss appears to be independently associated with poorer cognition.
- “This association might be mediated by different characteristics of periodontal health, for example, extent of tooth loss.”
The data shows that individuals with poor periodontal health have a 23 per cent higher risk of cognitive decline. Of the studies analysed, 13 showed an increased dementia risk linked to periodontal health.
Tooth loss also had a 23 per cent heightened risk of cognitive decline and increased dementia risk by 13 per cent.
Read the full study here: https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.17978