{"id":17,"date":"2026-05-09T11:01:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-09T16:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.encinitasdentalart.com\/blog\/?p=17"},"modified":"2026-06-15T17:18:30","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T22:18:30","slug":"oral-health-and-memory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.encinitasdentalart.com\/blog\/oral-health-and-memory\/","title":{"rendered":"Understanding the Connection Between Oral Health and Memory"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Your mouth is part of a larger system; as such, the state of your smile can often affect the rest of your body in unexpected ways. Recent evidence suggests that poor oral health could have a negative impact on the parts of the brain responsible for memory. Below is a closer look at this link and why taking care of your teeth and gums<\/a> could make a difference for your brain health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Oral Health and Your Memory<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A 2023 study<\/a> performed by the American Academy of Neurology looked at 172 patients with an average age of 67. The researchers checked each participant for gum disease and determined how many teeth they still had. The results of the study found that individuals with severe gum disease or missing teeth often experienced faster shrinkage of the left hippocampus in the brain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why is this significant? The left hippocampus plays an important role in memory. If it shrinks, it is often a warning sign of Alzheimer\u2019s disease. People with this condition may have trouble recalling recent events and other types of information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further study is needed to completely understand the relationship between oral health and the brain. That said, some researchers believe that the harmful bacteria responsible for gum disease could play a role in memory loss. The bacteria in your gums can potentially enter the bloodstream and travel to the brain, where they may contribute to the inflammation associated with Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protecting Your Smile to Protect Your Brain<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Naturally, maintaining a healthy smile in no way guarantees that you\u2019ll never develop Alzheimer\u2019s disease or similar issues. Nevertheless, the existing evidence suggests that taking care of your teeth and gums could help you keep your risk for memory problems as low as possible. In order to maintain good oral health, you should take the following steps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n