Tooth loss and dementia: An oro-neural connection. A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Recent cross-sectional studies have suggested that chronic inflammation resulting due to gingival and periodontal diseases may have potential reversible risk factors for dementia. Recently, cognition, memory deficit, and along with the behavioral defect have been considered as characteristics of dementia. Age is one of the main factors which is also known to be associated with dementia. The aim of the present study was to establish the correlation between tooth loss and diagnosis of cognitive impairment/dementia in elderly patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study, comprising of 300 patients (Age: 50–80 years), was conducted. For the assessment of cognitive impairment/dementia, Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) was conducted. All the results were analyzed using the Chi-square and Kruskal–Wallis ANOVA test. RESULTS: Number of teeth was found to be directly associated with MMSE. Less number of teeth was associated with lower MMSE score, irrespective of gender. The level of statistical significance was found to be P < 0.001. Factors, such as socioeconomic status, school education, and marital status, were found to have a statistically significant impact on the dementia scale. CONCLUSION: The current study found a significant association between tooth loss and cognitive impairment. Along with age factors such as socioeconomic status, education, and marital status were also found to have a direct or indirect impact on dementia. More prospective studies and clinical trials are required to be conducted to confirm the observations of this study.