Could the Way You Chew Food Affect Your Dementia Risk?

Résumé détaillé

Tooth loss has been linked to dementia and cognitive decline. Now researchers are uncovering why jaw health may matter more than we realize.

Tooth loss has been linked to dementia and cognitive decline. Now researchers are uncovering why jaw health may matter more than we realize.

Losing teeth may affect more than a person's ability to eat comfortably. Growing research has linked tooth loss to cognitive decline and dementia, although scientists are still trying to understand the reasons behind this connection.

A 2026 review of 21 longitudinal studies involving about 35.7 million people found that tooth loss was associated with a higher risk of dementia and mild cognitive impairment, with the risk increasing as more teeth were lost.

Researchers have proposed different explanations. Oral disease may not be the only factor; the loss of chewing ability itself could also play a role.

Still, these findings do not establish a clear cause-and-effect relationship. “The relationship may work in several ways. The location of the missing teeth may also matter,” says Mill Etienne, vice chancellor and professor of neurology and medicine at New York Medical College.

“Loss of the back teeth, which do most of the chewing, may matter more than the total number of teeth," says Jordan Weiss, an assistant professor in the Division of Precision Medicine and Optimal Aging Institute at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. "Chewing ability itself, as opposed to tooth count, is measured less often, so its separate contribution is less certain.”

But chewing ability is only one possible explanation for the association. Several shared risk factors may contribute to the connection, Weiss says. Years of smoking, diabetes, vascular disease, and limited access to dental care can affect oral health. Some of these factors also influence brain health. Education, income, and access to health care may further shape both.

Early cognitive changes can complicate the picture, too. Someone who begins experiencing memory or thinking difficulties may find it harder to maintain oral hygiene or seek dental treatment, Weiss says.

Chewing does more than break…

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