From a Journal of the American Geriatrics Society release:

In our study, we found significant associations between baseline teeth symptoms and change in episodic memory. Deficits in episodic memory (ie, ability to retain new information) are most common in older adults with mild cognitive impairment making them more likely to progress to Alzheimer’s disease dementia.30 Furthermore, changes in episodic memory are often reported in older adults several years before the onset of dementia. 

Our findings point to the importance of assessing oral health symptoms in this population. Developing policy measures aimed at ameliorating health and improving cognition in this high‐risk fast‐growing population in the United States would need to include oral health preventive and dental care services. Medical and dental care providers can identify problematic oral health symptoms as risk factors of cognitive decline. Outreach programs that target older adults to improve the awareness of these problems can then be developed. Dental care community outreach programs should focus their information on practical ways to prevent oral health problems and provide information on accessible treatment options.

To read more: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jgs.15748