Poor oral health can cause major health issues
Sep 6, 2019, 19:25 IST
The importance of a good oral healthcare routine has been preached by everyone. So, it doesn’t come as a surprise when a recent study revealed that bad oral health has been linked to decreased quality of life, along with depression, hypertension, and cognitive decline.
The studies published in the 'Journal of the American Geriatrics Society' had researchers interview over 2700 Chinese Americans of and above the age of 60. They found that nearly 50 percent of the participants reported experiencing tooth symptoms, 25.5 percent reported dry mouth.
n the first study, those who reported tooth symptoms experienced a decline in cognition and episodic memory, often precursors to dementia. In the second study, the researchers found that stress increased symptoms of dry mouth, leading to poorer overall oral health.
"Minorities have less access to preventive dental care that is further exacerbated by language barriers and low socioeconomic status. Older Chinese Americans are at particular risk for experiencing oral health symptoms due to lack of dental insurance or not visiting a dental clinic regularly," added Dong.
Among the key findings put forth by this study was the fact that 47.8 per cent of older Chinese Americans reported having teeth symptoms; participants who reported teeth symptoms at baseline experienced their global cognition and episodic memory decline.
"In our study, the prevalence rate of dry mouth is followed by diabetes and heart disease. Our findings demonstrate the importance of studying the linkage between stress and dry mouth in this vulnerable population." said author Weiyu Mao, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, University of Nevada, Reno.
The studies published in the 'Journal of the American Geriatrics Society' had researchers interview over 2700 Chinese Americans of and above the age of 60. They found that nearly 50 percent of the participants reported experiencing tooth symptoms, 25.5 percent reported dry mouth.
n the first study, those who reported tooth symptoms experienced a decline in cognition and episodic memory, often precursors to dementia. In the second study, the researchers found that stress increased symptoms of dry mouth, leading to poorer overall oral health.
"Minorities have less access to preventive dental care that is further exacerbated by language barriers and low socioeconomic status. Older Chinese Americans are at particular risk for experiencing oral health symptoms due to lack of dental insurance or not visiting a dental clinic regularly," added Dong.
Among the key findings put forth by this study was the fact that 47.8 per cent of older Chinese Americans reported having teeth symptoms; participants who reported teeth symptoms at baseline experienced their global cognition and episodic memory decline.
"In our study, the prevalence rate of dry mouth is followed by diabetes and heart disease. Our findings demonstrate the importance of studying the linkage between stress and dry mouth in this vulnerable population." said author Weiyu Mao, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, University of Nevada, Reno.
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