Gum Disease Can Impact Your Ability To Remember

One of the worst things about getting older is not being able to remember things. It is never fun to struggle as you try to think of the name of someone you have known for years. There are many different causes of memory loss.

You may not stop all the issues that surround memory loss, but there are some causes that you have control over. If you knew that gum disease can interfere with your memory, you may want to do more to prevent it from happening.

Gum Disease and Overall Health

It is important to know that gum disease is a result of active bacteria in the gums. Those bacteria will not only impact oral health, but can also increase the risk for a variety of conditions. If the bacteria go into the bloodstream, they can go through the entire body. That is how gum disease increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis and cancer to name a few.

Gum Disease and Dementia

Dementia is a progressive condition that involves memory loss. As a person gets older the risk of dementia grows. Research has shown links between gum disease and dementia as a person gets older. In addition to dementia, the research also suggests that there is a relationship between gum disease and mild cognitive impairment issues. That means it is possible that gum disease will affect your ability to remember things.

The problem with all of this is that people are at a higher risk for gum disease as they age. They are also at a higher risk for cognitive problems and memory loss due to getting older. It is easy to assume that both problems are because of the aging process and they are not really related. Research shows that is not true.

The best way to prevent memory loss from gum disease is to take care of your oral health. For more information about how to do this and any other dental questions you have, contact our office today.