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.
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
Taiwan is planning to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based X-ray imaging to customs clearance points over the next four years to curb the smuggling of contraband, a Customs Administration official said. The official on condition of anonymity said the plan would cover meat products, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, large bundles of banknotes and certain agricultural produce. Taiwan began using AI image recognition systems in July 2021. This year, generative AI — a subset of AI which uses generative models to produce data — would be used to train AI models to produce realistic X-ray images of contraband, the official
RSS