While more in-depth study is necessary, the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and College of Dentistry conducted a study to determine whether edentulous (or nearly edentulous) patients are at greater risk for developing dementia. Dental records and exams of one-hundred forty-four participants from the Catholic sisters of the School Sisters of Notre Dame, between the ages of 75 and 98, revealed that in those without dementia and with fewer than ten teeth, the risk of developing dementia was greater than in those with ten or more teeth. The study spanned 12 years and, of course, is based on participants who did not initially have dementia. According to the ADA article, researchers reported, "…not only periodontal disease but also early-life nutritional deficiencies, infections or chronic diseases may result simultaneously in tooth loss and damage to the brain."
Many studies have shown that dementia patients are more prone to poor oral health, but few have reversed the study. However, the researchers stated that they cannot yet tell "whether the association is causal or casual."
The study is featured in the October issue of The Journal of the American Dental Association and reviewed in an article by the ADA (Chicago, October 10, 2007).