10/11/2016 15:38
Good dental hygiene can help you keep your smile healthier, but it might also help you keep your mind healthier. A study that was published in the “European Journal of Oral Sciences” evaluated almost three hundred people who were aged fifty-five and older. Researchers found that those who had lost more teeth were more likely to perform worse on memory tests.
Tooth loss and memory loss had been previously linked in both animal and human studies. This study adjusted for other factors, demonstrating that age alone was not responsible for the correlation between these two common age-related issues. Researchers have theorized that teeth stimulate certain nerves in the brain. When teeth are lost, the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain that forms memories, receives less stimulation. Another factor could be increased inflammation. Dental disease can increase inflammation in the body and can lead to tooth loss, as well as neuronal death and memory loss.
Dental implants might help restore some of the sensory input, and they can help you maintain a healthy diet to properly nourish your body and combat inflammation. Contact our office today to find out more about how implants can restore your smile, or to schedule an appointment with our Los Angeles tooth implant dentist.
