While severe deterioration of oral health is closely linked to cognitive dysfunction, the correlation does not necessarily mean there is a causal link, a study led by a research team at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University’s Department of Dentistry said.
More than 300,000 people in Taiwan have dementia, with 96 percent over the age of 65, Ministry of Health and Welfare data showed.
Dementia is an umbrella term for a variety of diseases, rather than an aging phenomenon, with Alzheimer’s a well-known form. In addition to memory loss, dementia can also affect cognitive functions, personality and behavior.
Photo: Taipei Times
“Oral-cognitive links” have been widely researched, but the associations between deteriorating oral health and the risks of dementia remain unclear, the study said.
A systematic review of 28 research papers on oral-cognitive links published in the past five years showed that most focused on the relationship that periodontal diseases and the oral microbiome have with Alzheimer’s disease, it said.
Abundant evidence supports the idea that serious oral health problems, such as severe periodontal disease and extensive tooth loss, are strongly correlated with cognitive dysfunction, it said.
However, Lin Chia-shu (林嘉澍), a professor in the department, said that there are wide discrepancies in the relationship between oral health and cognitive dysfunction, adding that the strong correlation does not necessarily mean causation.
For example, while tooth loss is related to dementia, wearing dentures does not necessarily prevent dementia and chewing more does not necessarily enhance cognitive function, Lin said.
The oral-cognitive links do not support the conclusion that regular teeth brushing can prevent dementia, he said, adding that further research would be required to establish such a claim.
No strong evidence has been presented to show that good oral health can prevent early-onset or mild dementia, he said.
The causal relationship might even be the reverse, he said.
As dementia progresses, people might develop serious oral problems as they lose the ability to care for themselves, including brushing their teeth and rinsing their mouth, Lin said.
Many people misunderstand the relationship between oral health and cognitive function, he said, adding that more attention should be paid to the issue while taking care of elderly people.
The study was published in this month’s edition of the Ageing Research Reviews journal.
Collaborators on the study include physician Chen Ta-chung (陳大中) in Taipei Veterans General Hospital’s Department of Stomatology; Fuh Jong-ling (傅中玲), director of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University’s Department of Neurology; the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm; and the University of Amsterdam’s Academic Center for Dentistry.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The High Prosecutors’ Office yesterday withdrew an appeal against the acquittal of a former bank manager 22 years after his death, marking Taiwan’s first instance of prosecutors rendering posthumous justice to a wrongfully convicted defendant. Chu Ching-en (諸慶恩) — formerly a manager at the Taipei branch of BNP Paribas — was in 1999 accused by Weng Mao-chung (翁茂鍾), then-president of Chia Her Industrial Co, of forging a request for a fixed deposit of US$10 million by I-Hwa Industrial Co, a subsidiary of Chia Her, which was used as collateral. Chu was ruled not guilty in the first trial, but was found guilty
A wild live dugong was found in Taiwan for the first time in 88 years, after it was accidentally caught by a fisher’s net on Tuesday in Yilan County’s Fenniaolin (粉鳥林). This is the first sighting of the species in Taiwan since 1937, having already been considered “extinct” in the country and considered as “vulnerable” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. A fisher surnamed Chen (陳) went to Fenniaolin to collect the fish in his netting, but instead caught a 3m long, 500kg dugong. The fisher released the animal back into the wild, not realizing it was an endangered species at
DEADLOCK: As the commission is unable to forum a quorum to review license renewal applications, the channel operators are not at fault and can air past their license date The National Communications Commission (NCC) yesterday said that the Public Television Service (PTS) and 36 other television and radio broadcasters could continue airing, despite the commission’s inability to meet a quorum to review their license renewal applications. The licenses of PTS and the other channels are set to expire between this month and June. The National Communications Commission Organization Act (國家通訊傳播委員會組織法) stipulates that the commission must meet the mandated quorum of four to hold a valid meeting. The seven-member commission currently has only three commissioners. “We have informed the channel operators of the progress we have made in reviewing their license renewal applications, and