If your memory seems
to be slowing you down with misplaced reader’s part of your daily routine, it
may have something to do with your oral hygiene habits. A recent study
conducted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill indicates that
bleeding gums and tooth loss may also affect thinking skills for people over
the age of 45.
During the study,
Gary Slade, co-author of the study, stated that, “We were interested to see if
people with poor dental health had relatively poorer cognitive function.” In
other words, how do your numbers and word management measure up when it comes
to your memory. What the study discovered is mind-boggling.
Mr. Slade added, “What
we found was that for every extra tooth that a person had lost or had removed,
cognitive function went down a bit.” He also went on to say that, “People who
had none of their teeth had poorer cognitive function that people who did have
teeth, and people with fewer teeth had poorer cognition than those with more. The
same was true when we looked at patients with severe gum disease.”
With analyzed data
that was gathered from 1996 to 1998 with 6,000 men and women between the ages
of 45 and 64, the authors and researchers discovered that the numbers for the thinking,
memory, word fluency, word recall and skill with numbers tests was lower for
people who had no natural teeth.
The study discovered
that thirteen percent of those who participated had no natural teeth. Of those
who had teeth, about one-fifth of the study had fewer than twenty remaining
teeth. Over twelve percent had serious gum disease with deep gum pockets and
bleeding gums.
The researchers of
the study also discovered that folks who had more teeth and healthier gum
tissue scored better on the tests.
As far as which came
first, the chicken or the egg, researchers say that a poor diet lacking in
foods that are rich in antioxidants could also be to blame for poor memory
health. Combine the two and you may not be able to remember what day it is.
Because gingivitis
and periodontitis inflames the gums, most doctors and dentists agree that the
disease travels throughout your entire system, which will affect cognitive
behavior and cognition.
If your memory isn’t
what it used to be and you can’t remember the last time you saw your dentist,
schedule an appointment with Country Club Dentistry today.
