Keeping your teeth clean could help your mind to stay sharp into old age, research suggests. Those with poor oral hygiene and swollen, bleeding gums are more likely to suffer memory problems linked to Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia, a study found.
And the worse the condition of their gums, the higher their risks of memory blanks. The study adds to a welter of evidence about the benefits of regular brushing, flossing and visits to the dentist.
Previous research has blamed the bugs behind gum disease for other ills including heart disease, diabetes and low sperm counts. Now, it appears they may also stop us from thinking as clearly as we might.
The researchers, from Columbia University in New York, tested more than 2,300 men and women for bugs that cause periodontitis, in which gums are so diseased that they recede and teeth become loose. The volunteers, who were all aged 60 and over, were also put through a battery of memory tests.
The tests posed a problem for up to a fifth of those taking part, with those with bad dental health faring the worst. The men and women with the highest levels of gum disease bugs were three times as likely to have trouble recalling a three-word sequence as those with the lowest amounts.
They were also twice as likely to fail on a memory test based on mental arithmetic subtractions, the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry reports.
The researchers conclude: 'A growing body of evidence supports exploration of a possible association between poor oral health and dementia.'
It is unclear how dental health may fuel memory problems and dementia. But the bugs that lurk in our gums are known to damage arteries - and arterial damage has been linked to dementia.
They also cause inflammation, which has been linked to brain diseases including Alzheimer's. Oral health is already linked to heart health. Studies show that those with gum disease are more likely to suffer narrowing of the arteries, which can cause heart attacks and strokes.
The mechanism is not fully understood, but one theory is that the bugs that cause gums to become diseased enter the bloodstream, where they activate the immune system, inflaming and narrowing artery walls. With Alzheimer's affecting 400,000 Britons, any insight into its causes could have a huge impact on public health.
But British experts said that while the U.S. study was interesting it did not prove that poor dental health caused memory problems. Instead, it may be that people brush their teeth less as their memory starts to fail.
