The ongoing study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) by a team comprised of researchers from the Department of Odontology and the Aging Research Center (ARC) at Karolinska Institute and from Karlstad University has brought light to a very important issue. They looked at tooth loss, chewing ability and cognitive function on a sample of 557 people aged 77 or older. One of the main things they found out was that those who had difficulty chewing hard foods such as apples were at significantly higher risk of developing cognitive impairment (dementia). This correlation remained even when controlling for sex, age, education and many other variables that could have affected the level of cognition.
Perhaps the most surprising of all was the fact that it didn’t matter if the chewing was being done with natural teeth or dentures, as long as they were able to bite normally. The reasons behind this are still being analysed but there are some suggestion that difficulty with chewing leads to a reduction on the blood flow to the brain.
The study shows the invaluable worth of a healthy mouth. With dental implants you can restore functionality to your teeth and stop worrying about eating hard and crunchy foods. You can also get a full mouth restoration with our All on 4, All on 6 and Snap in Dentures procedures so you can keep chewing well for years after loosing your teeth!
If you want to know more about our services call toll free from USA and Canada 1-800-701-6039, or if you are already on vacation in Cancun and want to meet us, you can call us for an appointment at the following local number (998) 1-40-51-25.