THERE is a link between gum disease and dementia.
Periodontal or severe gum disease now may cause mild cognitive impairment and dementia 20 years later, according to a new study published July 29 in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Researchers looked at the dental health of people in a 20-year period and found that those with the most severe gum disease at the start of the study had about twice the risk for mild cognitive impairment or dementia by the end of the period.
The study covered 8,275 people for an average of 18 years. At the start, full periodontal examinations were conducted to detect mild cognitive impairment and dementia.
During the study period 1,569 people, or 19 percent, developed dementia. Of those who had healthy gums with all their teeth intact at the start of the study, 264 out of 1,826, or 14 percent, developed dementia.
Some 623 out of 3,470, or 18 percent, of those with mild gum disease at the start later developed dementia.
For participants with severe gum disease, 306 out of 1,368, or 22 percent, developed dementia. And 376 out of 1,611, or 23 percent, developed dementia in the group that had no teeth.
Many earlier studies have found that those with advanced periodontal disease are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, chronic respiratory disease, pregnancy complications and dementia.
The connection was not so clear cut, however, whether periodontal disease actually causes dementia and other health issues.
“My core hypothesis is that bacteria in the mouth that cause periodontal disease are also a cause of systemic outcomes (cardiovascular disease, dementia etc.),” Ryan T. Demmer, PhD, the study author, said in an email to CNN.
“We use periodontal measures in many of our studies because they are a surrogate marker of chronic exposure to adverse oral bacteria,” he said.
Another possible link between periodontal disease and dementia may be that cardiovascular disease and diabetes could be the intermediary cause, reports Katie Hunt of CNN.
“There is a robust body of literature suggesting that chronic periodontal infections might contribute to insulin resistance, prediabetes, incident diabetes and incident stroke,” said Dr. Demmer, an Associate Professor in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.
“Accordingly, insulin resistance, diabetes and stroke are strong predictors of future cognitive decline.”
Further study is needed to demonstrate a cause and effect in the link between periodontal disease mouth and dementia.
Dr. Demmer said it is not known if treatment for gum disease can prevent dementia.
What the study shows, he said, is an association between an unhealthy mouth and dementia.
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim is the former Associate Dean of the UE College of Dentistry, former Dean of the College of Dentistry, National University, past president and honorary fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy, and honorary fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists. Honorary Life Member of Thai Association of Dental Implantology. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515./PN
