Tooth Loss Linked to Cognitive Impairment

According to a study published in the June 2009 Journal of Clinical Periodontology, a scientific link has been established between tooth loss and cognitive impairment. The study set out to prove that since Chronic subclinical inflammation may elevate the risk of cognitive impairment, and periodontal disease is responsible for the subclinical inflammation and accounts at least in part for tooth loss, that a link indeed exists between tooth loss and cognitive impairment in the elderly.

1336 subjects were studied with a composite age of 6079 years. Each individual's cognitive impairment was assessed with the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE). A high MMSE score indicated normal cognitive behaviors, while lower MMSE scores indicated some degree of cognitive impairment.

The study found that a decreased number of teeth was associated with lower MMSE scores in females and males in age-adjusted models. While in the fully adjusted models, tooth loss was associated with cognitive impairment in females but not in males.

The study concluded that a significant association between tooth loss and cognitive impairment was found in females. The study also showed that since former periodontitis accounted for this association because periodontitis was frequently the cause of the tooth extractions.

Therefore, this study showed that there is at least potential for a strong correlation between cognitive impairment in many elderly patients and tooth loss as a result of the chronic subclinical inflammation brought on by periodontal disease. This association between periodontal disease and cognitive impairment is just one of the many systemic implications of chronic periodontitis or gum disease.

For more information about the link between gum disease Philadelphia and a variety of systemic afflictions, contact Dr. Brown at http://www.theperiogroup.com/ or by phone at 215.735.3660. Submit your gum disease questions online at by filling out one of the online contact forms.