Once, it has been thought that mental health is quite separate from dental health. However, new research suggests a connection between the two. Aging brings with it a devastating effect of mental or cognitive function decline especially when the dentist’s senior patient has some type of oral health issues, too.
Studies that were conducted between 1993 and 2013 were reexamined, and the results revealed that the number of the elderly’s teeth, the number of cavities they have along with the presence or absence of gum disease all contribute to their mental health.
The result of the investigation was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society last April 2016. One of the study authors, Bei Wu, notes that there is a decline in the dental health of patients who have neuropsychiatric and/or neurodegenerative disorders. Even though there is not enough evidence to conclude the association between the two, however, the findings should be sufficient to raise concern amongst the elderly and their caregivers.
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