Serving areas of Okemos, Lansing, and East Lansing, MI
You want to be at your best, physically, and mentally. Did you know that good dental health could play a pivotal role in maintaining brain function? One of Okemos’ most popular dentists, Dr. Christine Tenaglia, explains how tooth loss can negatively affect your cognitive ability.
The Importance of Proper Chewing Function
In 2018, researchers in Taiwan released their findings in the Kaohsiung Journal of Medicine. They noted how eating and mastication involve all five senses. When someone loses a tooth, their chewing ability becomes compromised, potentially causing physical and mental stress. The reorganization that your body goes through after permanent tooth loss may damage cortical networks—especially in elderly patients, who may have reduced ability for this reorganization due to natural aging.
Multiple other research studies determined a link between mastication—the act of chewing—and the brain’s hippocampus. The hippocampus is a structure embedded deep in the temporal lobe of the brain that plays a vital role in the limbic system (which deals with emotions and memory). If your chewing ability degrades due to tooth loss, this can lead to memory problems, issues with spatial recognition, or even a learning deficit. These issues occur due to the structural and functional reorganization of the hippocampus as part of the compensation process due to tooth loss.
What Happens In Brains When We Chew
Research on this dates as far back as 1939 when an American psychologist named H.L. Hollingsworth released a study titled “Chewing as a Technique of Relaxation.” When we chew, sensory neurons transmit sensory input from the oral cavity, where the chewing is happening to the central nervous system. Neurons filter this input through the reticular activating system, which serves to filter unnecessary information while important information is committed to memory. In short, this is how we learn. From this data, scientists have determined a link between perception of the oral cavity, and its effect on memory and learning ability.
Tooth Loss in America
According to the American College of Prosthodontists, there are approximately 120 million people in the U.S. who have lost at least one permanent tooth. That includes more than 36 million who no longer have any of their natural teeth. Now that we see how losing just one tooth triggers a reorganization of the hippocampus, you can imagine how substantial or total tooth loss can have a negative effect on the hippocampus, which must undergo this process over and over again.
Prevention is your Best Defense
While, in some cases, tooth loss is inevitable or even recommended due to an existing, more serious issue, you can help protect your natural teeth by maintaining good dental hygiene. Brush and floss daily, and see your general dentist in Okemos every six months for a checkup that includes a professional dental cleaning.
In the event that you do lose a permanent tooth, replacing that tooth and restoring your smile can help undo some of the potential damage to your chewing ability. At Tenaglia Smiles, we offer dental bridges and dental implants to fill that gap in your smile and maintain your chewing function. Don’t let your nutrition, or your mental ability, become compromised due to tooth loss. Call the office of Tenaglia Smiles today at (517) 347-6733 to schedule a consultation if you’re located in the areas of Okemos, Lansing, and East Lansing in Michigan.