TO YOUR HEALTH
Mind-Mouth-Body Connection: Can Tooth Loss Affect Your Memory?
implants. They provide fixed and stable teeth replacement that func - tion like natural teeth. However, replacing teeth with implants also presents challenges; the majority of implants used today are made of metals, such as titanium and titanium alloys. Metal once placed in the jaw — or any part of the body — will undergo corrosion, and over time, release metal components in the bone, lymphatics, bloodstream and even possibly cross the blood-brain barrier. Many individuals are either sensitive or allergic to metals, or simply have concerns with metals placed in their body. It is conservatively estimated that 15% of the population can be sensitive to metal implant components released from gynecological, orthopedic and dental de- vices as a result of corrosion. Therefore, choosing a safe and highly biocompatible material is very important in the process of restoring your dentition, your smile, your ability to chew, and preserving your jawbone. There are solutions available with regards to metal dental implants. The good news is metal-free ceramic implants are available for pa- tients who are sensitive to metals or choose not to have them placed in their jaws. These metal-free implants are made with a highly biocom- patible and hypo-allergenic medical-grade bioceramic called zirconia. These implants are white with a color very similar to natural teeth, and accumulate very low levels of dental plaque and bacteria; there- fore, they blend well with the remaining teeth, provide excellent aes- thetics, and unlike the metal ones, will not corrode and release metal components in your body. Maintaining good dental hygiene with consistent daily brushing/ flossing habits, regular visits for routine cleanings, and healthy eating will go a long way to keeping your own teeth functional and beauti- ful. But should mental and/or physical health decline that ultimately affects your teeth, know that safer alternatives are available for your consideration should the need arise. Dr. Sammy Noumbissi, DDS, MS, is a dentist whose practice focus - es on metal free implant dentistry. His practice is located in down - town Silver Spring in Maryland. For more information, please call 301-588-0768 or visit www.milesofsmilesdental.net. .
BY SAMMY NOUMBISSI, DDS MS
Scientific research has shown that a healthy and functional set of teeth and a beautiful smile are essential to a person’s emotional, psy- chological and physical wellbeing. Missing teeth can cause challenges in terms of socialization, nutrition, and digestion, and lead to great - er health problems such as but not limited to nutritional deficiencies, bone loss and even cognitive decline. Digestion starts in the oral cavity, and people who have lost multiple teeth struggle to chew efficiently and digest their food. This leads to malnutrition along with acute and chronic nutritional, mineral and vitamin deficiencies. Nutritional deficiencies and chemical imbalanc - es will affect brain function. It is also well established that replacing natural teeth immediately or shortly after loss will maintain the jaw- bone’s integrity and density. A recent study in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society re- ported that people with poor cognitive function may lead to neglect- ed self-care, resulting in poorer oral hygiene and oral health in older people. They determined that there was a link between losing multiple natural teeth and having poorer memory as well as worsening physical function within 10 years after losing their teeth. In a systematic review of studies, a review published in the prestigious Journal of Dental Re - search on the connection between cognitive decline and tooth loss, it was demonstrated that individuals with less than 20 teeth were at a 20 percent higher risk for developing cognitive decline and dementia than those with greater than or equal to 20 teeth. (JDR source?) The good news is that timely interventions to replace missing teeth could be beneficial in staving off the onset of bone loss, cognitive de - cline and dementia. Teeth can be replaced with removable dentures or bridges. The problem is that removable full and partial dentures are very unstable in the mouth, cause pain when chewing, dislodge themselves very of- ten, and accelerate and worsen bone loss. Furthermore, they margin- ally improve chewing ability. These findings make it more imperative for young and elderly adults to replace their teeth gradually as they lose them, and preferably to replace the missing ones as soon as pos- sible after they are removed. The preferred method of teeth replacement should be with dental
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PATHWAYS—Fall 25—73
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