If neglected, it may even overlap with genetic risk factors for other long-term health issues, including those linked to brain imaging signals for diabetes, hypertension, stroke, infections, etc.

Healthy lifestyle choices influence not just the risk of heart disease and stroke, but also brain health, which includes one’s capacity to recall information, think effectively, and function in daily life.

According to a preliminary study that will be presented at the International Stroke Conference 2023 of the American Stroke Association, maintaining good dental health may also improve brain health.

Studies have revealed that oral health issues such gum disease, missing teeth, and other oral health indicators, as well as improper brushing methods and a failure to remove plaque, all raise the risk of stroke.

The American Stroke Association reports that stroke is the fifth biggest cause of death and disability in the country. Gum disease and other oral health issues are associated with illnesses including high blood pressure and heart disease risk factors, according to earlier studies.

According to study author Cyprien Rivier, studying oral health is crucial since it is a regular occurrence and a risk factor that is simple to change. Everyone may successfully improve their dental health with little effort and expense.

Healthy lifestyle choices influence not just the risk of heart disease and stroke, but also brain health, which includes one’s capacity to recall information, think effectively, and operate in daily life.

According to the American Stroke Association, a part of the American Heart Association, three out of every five persons in the United States may acquire brain illness over their lifetime.

In this study, researchers examined the possible relationship between dental health and brain health in nearly 40,000 persons (46% males, average age 57 years) without a history of stroke who were registered in the U.K. Biobank between 2014 and 2021.

The impact of these 105 genetic risk factors for poor oral health and brain health was assessed, and participants were checked for 105 genetic variations known to predispose people to developing cavities, using dentures, and losing teeth later in life.

MRI images of the participants’ brains were used to look for signs of poor brain health. These included white matter hyperintensities, which is damage that builds up in the brain’s white matter and can affect memory, balance, and mobility, and microstructural damage, which is the degree to which the brain’s fine architecture has changed compared to images of a normal brain scan of a healthy adult of the same age.

The research revealed:

A 24% increase in the number of white matter hyperintensities evident on the MRI scans indicated a larger burden of silent cerebrovascular illness in those who were genetically predisposed to cavities, missing teeth, or requiring dentures.
Those people who had overall poor genetic oral health had higher damage to the fine architecture of the brain, as seen by a 43% shift in the microstructural damage scores evident on the MRI scans. This was a significant finding. Damage ratings based on microstructure are whole-brain assessments of the harm done to the fine architecture of each brain area.

“Poor oral health may cause declines in brain health, so we need to be extra careful with our oral hygiene because it has implications far beyond the mouth,” Rivier remarks. “However, this study is preliminary, and more evidence needs to be gathered – ideally through clinical trials – to confirm improving oral health in the population will lead to brain health benefits.”

Because only U.K. residents are included in the UK Biobank, and because the majority of UK Biobank individuals are of European ancestry (94% white, 6% mixed, 6% Black British, 6% Asian British, or 6% other), the study has some limitations. More study with persons from various racial and ethnic origins is also required.

While the study’s findings do not show that dental hygiene enhances brain health, they are “intriguing” and should be taken into consideration, according to Joseph P. Broderick, M.D., FAHA, a professor at the University of Cincinnati Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine and the director of the University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Except for rare genetic diseases linked with poor dental health, such as defective or missing enamel, environmental variables, such as smoking, and health problems, such as diabetes, are significantly higher risk factors for poor oral health than any genetic marker, according to Broderick. 

“It is still good advice to pay attention to oral hygiene and health. However, since people with poor brain health are likely to be less attentive to good oral health compared to those with normal brain health, it is impossible to prove cause and effect,” comments Broderick, who was not involved in the study.

“Also, genetic profiles for increased risk of oral health may overlap with genetic risk factors for other chronic health conditions like diabetes, hypertension, stroke, infections, etc. that are known to be related to brain imaging markers.“

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