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Poor oral health could affect the brain later in life: early study

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Posted: February 6, 2023
Edited by Dentaltown staff

DALLAS—An early study has shown keeping your gums and teeth healthy may have added benefits for your brain health. Preliminary research, set to be presented at the 2023 American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference, suggests adults who are genetically prone to poor oral health could be at a greater risk of showing signs of declining brain health.

Since the results are preliminary, the researchers say more evidence, including through clinical trials, and a more diverse pool of subjects, is needed.

The American Stroke Association pointed to previous studies that have shown gum disease, missing teeth, poor brushing and lack of plaque removal can increase the risk of stroke.

Gum disease and other oral health issues are also linked to conditions such as high blood pressure, the association says.

For the latest study, researchers between 2014 and 2021 looked at 40,000 adults enrolled in the biomedical database known as the U.K. Biobank.

Forty-six per cent of the adults were men and their average age was 57. None had a history of stroke.

The researchers screened the participants for 105 genetic variants that would make them more likely to develop cavities or missing teeth or need dentures later in life.

They also screened the individuals for signs of poor breath health using MRI.

The researchers found that those who were genetically prone to poor oral health had a 24 per cent increase in white matter hyperintensities, or built up damage to the brain’s white matter which can affect memory, balance and mobility.

Individuals with poor oral health also showed a 43 per cent change in microstructural damage, or the amount of “fine architecture” in the brain that has changed compared to a healthy adult of a similar age, the researchers say.

Source: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/poor-oral-health-could-affect-the-brain-later-in-life-early-study-1.6260061

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