Toothbrush Wielders Keep Wits Sharp

Another way to improve our chances of staying sharp as we age is good dental hygiene. Researchers at the University of California studied more than 5,000 elderly individuals for 18 years. Those who brushed their teeth less than once a day were far more likely to develop dementia during that time than those who were more conscientious about cleaning their teeth.
Women who brushed daily were 65 percent less likely to experience significant cognitive decline. Men who had lost many of their teeth and did not wear dentures were about twice as likely as men with most of their own teeth to have dementia.
The investigators point out that their study does not establish that neglecting oral hygiene causes dementia. It is possible that cognitive decline that was not evident at the outset of the study interfered with people’s interest in and ability to brush and floss. All the same, seeing the dentist and keeping teeth clean seem like simple steps to reduce the risk of dementia.
[Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, online, Aug. 2, 2012]