A wealth of health problems can accompany aging. As the average life expectancy continues to rise, maintaining cognitive mental functions could prove difficult for many Americans. November’s arrival signals the beginning of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. Currently, Alzheimer’s affects roughly 13% of people ages 65 and older. Researchers recently determined that a link could potentially exist between gum disease and the decrease in mental functions associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Your Milford implant dentist, Dr. Mitchell I. Quinter, discusses the connection between gum disease and Alzheimer’s.
Alzheimer’s and Gum Disease
Aging presents a number of issues for the population. A researcher from the NYU College of Dentistry recently combed through data spanning multiple decades and conducted his own experiments to test the cognitive functions of patients with periodontal disease. The study used 152 test subjects over the age of 70.
All of the test subjects showed signs of Alzheimer’s disease, but only half of the test subjects showed signs of gum disease. Subjects took exams in which they linked number sequences to corresponding symbol-digit pairs. The test subjects with signs of gum disease tested significantly lower on these exams than Alzheimer’s patients without the presence of gum disease.
Gum Disease and Dental Implants
Currently, gum disease serves as the leading cause of adult tooth loss. Additionally, tooth loss can increase a person’ likelihood of developing dementia. A recent study measured the impact of chewing ability on the risk of developing dementia. The study determined that dementia risks rise when patients suffer from diminished chewing ability. Tooth loss can seem overwhelming, but replacement tooth options exist. Dental implants offer a reliable, natural solution to the issue of adult tooth loss.
In addition to reliability, dental implants provide added health benefits. Implants provide necessary jaw bone stimulation to prevent facial collapse, and most patients can continue eating their favorite foods. Maintaining chewing ability can result in continued blood flow to the brain later in life. Dental implants also look and feel like natural teeth.
Schedule Your Dental Implant Visit Today
Interested in learning more about retaining mental functions and chewing ability? Do you suffer from adult tooth loss? Are you interested in learning more about replacement tooth options? At Sensitive Care Cosmetic and Family Dentistry, we provide comprehensive dental care for the whole family and dental implants. Contact our 06460 implant dentistry office by calling (203) 878-6699 to schedule an appointment today. We welcome patients from Milford and all surrounding communities.