Relationship between oral health status and cognitive functions

With global increases in the aging population, the number of patients with cognitive decline is greatly increasing, which has become a big social problem. The studies conducted previously suggest the possible relationship between oral health and cognitive status. It is well-known, that the oral cavity is an important component not only the maxillofacial region, but also acontributor of general health. In this article, we highlight the relationship among dentoalveolar system and the cognitive functions. Studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging revealed that during mastication there is activation of somatosensory cortical areas, the supplementary motor area, insula, and other areas including the striatum, thalamus and cerebellum. According to the results of the сlinical studies, patients with dementia have demonstrated poor oral hygiene, greater incidence of periodontal diseases and tooth loss. Accumulating evidence suggests that cognitive decline may be associated with masticatory dysfunction. Masticatory dysfunction, as an umbrella term, refers to a debilitating condition in which normal masticatory function is compromised due to structural factors (e.g., tooth loss) or functional factors (e.g., weaker biting force or poorer masticatory performance). The presented data support the hypothesis that there is a possible relationship between mastication, oral health status and cognitive functions, therefore maintenance and adequate restoration of the whole masticatory system are important for the prevention of cognitive decline. This problem requires further clinical interdisciplinary studies, assessing cognitive abilities and oral health.