Prevent Dementia by
Visiting Your Dentist
If you can’t remember to brush your teeth that may not
the only memory to go as gum disease is linked to preventing
dementia. A new study in the U.S. was just released that observes this
phenomenon.
Researchers studied nearly 5,500 elderly people in a
retirement home in California for over 18 years (1992 -2010). Most participants were Caucasian, educated,
and ranged from 52 years of age to 105 years of age. They found that those who
brushed their teeth less than once a day had a 65% higher chance in developing dementia than those who brushed
every day. "Not only does the state of your mind predict what kind of oral
health habits you practice, it may be that your oral health habits influence
whether or not you get dementia," said Annlia Paganini-Hill, leader of the
study.
The participants were interviewed at the start with a
number of questions regarding their dental health, including brushing,
flossing, number of visits to their dentist, and if they use dentures. At this time, no one in the group suffered
from dementia. A follow – up interview
was then done 18 years later when 1,145 of those people were diagnosed with
dementia, determine from the interviews, medical records, or even death
certificates in some cases.
In more detail, there was a difference in gender, as
well. Women had a 1 in 3.7 chance of
developing the disease when brushing less than once daily while men had a 1 in
6 chance. This had more of a correlation to those who wore their dentures as
those who did wear them had twice as higher chance to develop dementia than
those who had most of their own teeth. And
on top of that, those who lost most of their natural teeth and did not wear
their dentures had a 91%
greater risk of dementia than those with their natural teeth. Dr. Versman, Dr. Heller, and Dr. Beckman would
strongly suggest coming in for a consultation for dental implants if you are
concerned about the strength of your own teeth.
Now, one may ask, what comes first, the chicken or the
egg? It is common to think those with the onset of dementia will begin to
decrease their dental maintenance, meaning that dementia is responsible for
poor self-care. However, gum disease has
a common negative influence as bacteria
from gingivitis are associated with heart disease, stroke and diabetes. This is enough proof to not take any
chances. Periodontal Associates would
suggest you continue to upkeep bi-annual cleanings at a minimum unless
otherwise stated your doctor.
Paginini-Hill
concludes, “In addition to helping maintain natural, healthy, functional teeth, oral
health behaviors are associated with lower risk of dementia in older adults.”
It is scary to see how our dental habits are related with our future health,
both mentally and physically. There is
still time to help prevent the onset of gum disease related illnesses by
calling Periodontal Associates and meeting with Dr. Versman, Dr. Heller, or Dr.
Beckman. We also have a great team of
hygienists to keep those teeth and gums clean.
We have more information about the other gum related diseases on our
website www.periodontalhealth.com or continue to follow our blog for further updates. If you live in the Denver metro area,
specifically Aurora, CO, please just stop in today to get all of your questions
answered or make an appointment here.
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