Every now and then, we like to scour the internet for interesting dental news to share with our readers. This week, we found a press release on medicalnewstoday.com, a site that publishes press releases and information about medical studies, that talked about an interesting link between walking speeds, memory loss, and tooth loss found in a University College London study.
Tooth Loss May Be an Early Sign of Physical and Mental Decline
The study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and examined more than 3,000 adults over the age of 60 for memory loss and walking speed in relation to how many teeth they’d lost. Adults who had lost all of their teeth performed approximately 10% less well in both memory and walking speed tests.
The study found several markers that complicate the correlation of tooth loss and memory loss, such as smoking, socioeconomic status, and overall physical health, but participants who had lost all their teeth still walked slower. Dr. Georgios Tsakos, the lead author of the study, said, "Tooth loss could be used as an early marker of mental and physical decline in older age, particularly among 60-74 year-olds … Regardless of what is behind the link between tooth loss and decline in function, recognizing excessive tooth loss presents an opportunity for early identification of adults at higher risk of faster mental and physical decline later in their life. There are many factors likely to influence this decline, such as lifestyle and psychosocial factors, which are amenable to change."
You Only Get One Set of Teeth
We tell our patients that their teeth are designed to last a lifetime, all they have to do is take good care of them. For the most part, that means three things: brushing, flossing, and regular visits to your dentist. A good oral hygiene routine and early detection go a long way toward ensuring your oral health care stays in good shape throughout your life.
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