Throughout America, people begin preparing for their holiday travels. Family gatherings, holiday parties, and seasonal events will all kick up soon. Pumpkins, cranberries, turkeys, and the like will all grace the tops of serving tables throughout Ankeny and beyond. November also serves as Alzheimer’s Awareness Month in the United States.
Currently, over 13% of the population over the age of 65 suffers from confirmed cases of Alzheimer’s disease. Your Ankeny family dentist, Dr. Amanda Foust, discusses the relationship between Alzheimer’s Awareness Month and healthy teeth.
Alzheimer’s Statistics
The presence of Alzheimer’s disease in patients over 65 remains a serious problem. Currently, Alzheimer’s serves as the only cause of death which continues to rise. For patients over the age of 65, Alzheimer’s sits at fifth on the leading causes of death list. As of now, a new Alzheimer’s diagnosis occurs once every 68 seconds. By the year 2050, the frequency of Alzheimer’s cases will increase to a diagnosis once every 33 seconds.
A recent study linked Alzheimer’s disease and gum disease. The study measured the cognitive mental functions of Alzheimer’s patients with and without gum disease. The half of the test subjects without signs of gum disease displayed higher mental function when compared to their counterparts with gum disease. Previous studies also linked decreased mental function to loss of chewing ability.
Tooth Loss
According to many researchers, half of Americans suffer from tooth loss or diminished chewing ability during their life. Maintaining chewing ability enables patients to continue supplying their brain with increased blood flow. Studies show that blood flow to the brain significantly improves mental function. For patients suffering from tooth loss, we provide dental implants.
Repairing tooth loss with dental implants enables patients to continue providing blood flow to the brain, but also aids in promoting healthy jawbone growth. Jawbone deterioration could result in facial collapse. Patients can repair a single tooth with dental implants or multiple teeth. Dental implants require daily oral care, but your replacement teeth act the same as natural teeth. With proper oral care, dental implants could last a lifetime.
Schedule Your Ankeny Dental Implant Visit
Interested in determining whether or not you qualify as dental implant candidate? At Dental Impressions, we offer comprehensive dental care to patients of all ages and offer dental implants. Contact our 50021 family dentistry office by calling (515) 965-0230 to schedule an appointment today. We welcome patients from Ankeny, Polk City, Bondurant, Elkhart, Alleman, and all surrounding communities.
