Health
A brain region critical for memory is smaller in older adults with fewer than 10 teeth than in those who have most of their teeth, suggesting that tooth loss may precede the development of dementia
By Grace Wade
The parahippocampal gyrus, highlighted, shrinks in people who have lost many of their teeth
My Box / Alamy
Older adults with tooth loss have reduced brain volume in a region critical for memory compared with people who have most of their teeth. The finding adds to a growing body of evidence linking oral health to the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Previous research has shown bacteria involved in gum disease can invade and damage brain regions affected by Alzheimer’s. Gum disease is also a leading cause of tooth loss.
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