Dr. Mogell Dental Blog

Boca Raton Cosmetic Dentist

Oral Health and Dementia Linked

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Can your oral health affect your chances of getting dementia as you get older?

A University of California study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society looked at residents of Leisure World, a retirement community in California. This long term study looked at oral health habits and dental visits, tooth loss and number of natural teeth remaining. The 5,468 adults, who had no prior diagnosis of dementia, were followed from 1992 to 2010. The researchers discovered that those people who reported brushing their teeth less than once per day had up to a 65% greater risk of developing dementia that those who brushed 3 times per day.

The researchers also discovered that dentures made a difference for those who had lost teeth. Men who did not wear dentures and therefore had an impaired ability to chew their food had a 91% greater risk of dementia! Women had also had an increased risk but at a lower rate.

The goal for all of us it to live a long, healthy life and good oral health is key to achieving this. The ability to chew food effectively is the first step in our digestive process, the process that gives our bodies the fuel they need to function. Remove this ability and the entire body suffers.

Tooth loss can be avoided through good oral care at home and regular dental visits. For those who experience tooth loss it is important to replace the missing teeth - they are not there just to make your smile more attractive. For one or two missing teeth a dental bridge can be used. Dental implants

Wilbanks Smile Center can replace lost teeth using dentures or dental implants.

offer a more lifelike, permanent replacement option.

Patients who have lost all of their teeth have options too. Regular dentures are the choice for many patients but did you know that you can used dental implants to anchor a special type of denture so that slipping dentures will never happen to you. Dental implants offer the additional feature of helping to preserve the health of the jaw bone which normally shrinks when teeth are removed.

yourdentalblog

Snoring Damages Carotid Artery

Snoring isn't something to joke about any longer. Researchers from Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI reported that people who are regular snorers had a much higher rate of abnormal or thickened carotid arteries.

The risk of these carotid artery changes was higher for snorers than it was for smokers or the obese!

The lead author of the study, Dr. Robert Deeb said "Snoring is more than a bedtime annoyance and it shouldn't be ignored. Patients need to seek treatment in the same way they would if they had sleep apnea, high blood pressure or other risk factors for cardiovascular disease"

The changes to the carotid artery are thought to result from the trauma and inflammation caused by snoring vibrations.

Don't banish your snoring bed-partner to another room - get them medical treatment for their snoring instead. You'll both sleep better and your snoring partner can stay healthier for longer.

Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea are effectively treated using an oral appliance. Please contact
Dr. Kenneth Mogell at 561-394-9000 today to schedule your appointment in our Boca Raton, Jupiter or Vero Beach office.

yourdentalblog

Kenneth A. Mogell D.M.D.

We Make Beautiful Smiles a Reality in Boca Raton.

2900 North Military Trail
Suite 212
Boca Raton, FL 33431

Ph: 800.786.1497
Fx: 561.988.1102

Read Our Dental Blog

Previous Posts

Archives

Dr. Mogell Dental Blog

Boca Raton Cosmetic Dentist

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Kenneth A. Mogell D.M.D.