Oral health issues may be linked to the risk of dementia, making it a promising research focal area for prevention and care, according to a letter published in The Lancet.
The letter, published in response to "Dementia Prevention, Intervention, and Care: 2024 Report of the Lancet Standing Commission," asserts the effects of oral health on one's risk of developing dementia may have been underestimated. This finding should prompt the commission to further examine the connection between oral health and dementia, the authors wrote.
"Although the report offers valuable insights, we believe it overlooks the substantial role of oral health in dementia risk," wrote the authors, led by Bei Wu of the New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing.
Oral health problems, including periodontal disease, tooth loss, and oral frailty, affect nearly 3.5 billion people globally. However, the commission's limited focus on dental disease as a risk factor does not capture the complex relationship between oral health issues and cognitive function, they wrote.
Despite referencing recent literature, the report cited two studies on oral health, overlooking a growing body of evidence. Longitudinal studies from diverse populations, including the U.S., Japan, the United Kingdom, Sweden, and China, have consistently linked poor oral health to cognitive impairment and dementia, according to the letter.
A meta-analysis of 14 studies involving over 34,000 adults showed that each missing tooth increased the risk of cognitive impairment by 1.4% and dementia by 1.1%. Additionally, research shows that regular periodontal treatment significantly lowers the risk of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, they wrote.
"We encourage the Commission to consider a comprehensive examination of the relationship between oral health problems and dementia risk, potentially highlighting it as a promising area for dementia prevention, intervention, and care research," Wu and colleagues wrote.
