The dentist spoke about the relationship between dental health and cognitive functions.

A large-scale study involving more than 12.4 thousand people aged 50 to 75 years has revealed a link between the state of the dentition and brain function. This was announced by the founder of the federal network of dental clinics "Teeth in one day" Zalim Kudaev on Friday, April 24.

The results of the study confirmed that oral health is an important factor in maintaining cognitive abilities in middle and old age, the expert noted.

The loss of more than six teeth correlates with a 15% decrease in information processing speed compared to people who retained a full dentition, the absence of molars (chewing teeth) is associated with a deterioration in spatial memory, and the preservation of at least 20 teeth is associated with a lower risk of dementia after 10 years of follow-up, Kudaev said.

"Chewing when chewing food stimulates blood flow to key areas of the brain, such as the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory formation, and the prefrontal cortex, which regulates attention, planning, and decision—making," he said in an interview with Lenta.Ru .

The specialist warned that inflammatory processes in the oral cavity can trigger systemic inflammation, which negatively affects neurons, and changing the diet due to tooth loss, that is, switching to soft, processed foods, reduces the intake of nutrients important for the brain. 360.ru .

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The most expensive specialist services were in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

On the same day, neurologist Alexander Evdokimov said that tooth erasure is not always associated with oral problems and may have deeper causes. In some cases, enamel wear is not related to dentistry, but to the functioning of the nervous system and stress levels, according to the website. kp.ru .

Earlier, on April 21, dentist-therapist Irina Borskaya warned that some habits can gradually worsen the condition of the gums and lead to their diseases. Smoking causes the greatest harm: nicotine and tar impair the blood supply to the gums, which makes them more vulnerable to bacteria.

On April 9, Victoria Karatayeva, the chief dentist of All Yours Dentistry, said that chronic stress causes serious harm not only to the nervous system, but also to the condition of the oral cavity, including teeth and bite. The specialist noted that a dentist often becomes the first doctor to notice signs of stress in a patient.