Researchers find link between teeth and memory loss

Now where did I leave my dentures?

By Jan Libbenga • Get more from this author

Posted in Biology, 5th October 2006 13:40 GMT

There may be more meaning to the word "wisdom teeth" then previously thought. Dentists, psychologists and neurologists in Stockholm and Umeå in Sweden and Tromsø have been trying to determine why there is a link between tooth loss and memory loss.

Simply put: those who keep a full set of teeth have better powers of memory than those that don't.

The researchers, who study age, memory, senility and health as part of the Betula Project, say they've observed the correlation in over 2,000 people.

Researchers in Japan reached similar conclusions in tests with mice and monkeys, with mice learning to find food in labyrinths without difficulty, but losing this ability when their teeth were pulled.

The explanation? Still not clear. Some experts believe chewing brings oxygen-rich blood to the brain and, of course, you can chew a lot harder with a full set of daggers.

The researchers now hope to determine if the number of teeth is significant, or what kind of impact titanium implants have on memory. Maybe the tooth fairy knows. ®

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