HealthDay reports, “Poor periodontal health and tooth loss are associated with increased risks for cognitive decline and dementia, according to a review published online Sept. 8 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.” After conducing “a systematic review of the available longitudinal evidence,” researchers found that poor periodontal health was “associated with cognitive decline (odds ratio, 1.23) and dementia (hazard ratio, 1.21).” Additionally, “there was an independent association seen for tooth loss with an increased risk for cognitive decline (odds ratio, 1.23) and dementia (hazard ratio, 1.13),” and “partial tooth loss was important for cognitive decline (odds ratio, 1.50), while complete tooth loss was important for dementia (hazard ratio, 1.23).”
Dimensions Of Dental Hygiene reports, “The authors note, however, that some of the evidence included in the review was not high quality.” They suggest additional “research is necessary to confirm the association.”