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.
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