Loss of multiple teeth sign of stroke damage

A new study at the University of Hong Kong’s faculty of dentistry has uncovered that loss of multiple teeth and contraction of associated oral diseases may be a sign of vascular cognitive impairment (VCI) in stroke patients.

The study evaluated 161 patients with acute ischemic stroke comparing cognitive function with oral health. The researchers found that stroke patients with lower scores in cognitive assessments tended to have a higher amount of tooth loss. They were also found to have a greater level of VCI.

Professor Lijian Jin, Clinical Professor in Periodontology at the Faculty of Dentistry, was not surprised by the study’s results. He said that the link between cognitive function and oral health is becoming clearer as other cognitive dysfunctions are linked to dental diseases.

“Currently, the well-documented risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease include cerebrovascular disease and its related vascular risk factors, and many of them are significantly associated with systemic inflammation that links to periodontitis and other oral diseases,” he said.

“Periodontal disease and other oral diseases can increase the systemic level of inflammation, and may contribute to the development of cognitive impairment.”

Another possible factor underlying the connection between multiple tooth loss and cognitive decline was reduced mastication, due to the patient being edentulous.

“Being edentulous could have an impact on normal chewing function, which helps maintain the sensory input from the periodontal mechanoreceptors around the tooth roots and transmits spatial information of tooth loading to the brain and maintains the neuronal activity. Some evidences have suggested a possible connection between brain function and mastication.

“This was further supported by animal studies which connected reduced mastication due to tooth loss to impairment of spatial memory, weakening of learning ability and degeneration of hippocampal neurons in the brain.”