Abstract
Objective:
Dental extraction can be a cause of short-term cognitive decline in elderly patients. In this research, we aimed to evaluate cognitive functions using the Mini-Mental State Examination before and after tooth extraction in elderly patients who have undergone dental extraction with local anesthesia.
Methods:
A group of 40 randomly selected patients >65 years old who underwent dental extraction were included. Mini-Mental State Examinations were performed before and after dental extraction.
Results:
The patients’ total Mini-Mental State Examination scores after dental extraction were statistically significantly lower than the patients’ scores before extraction (p < 0.0001).
Conclusion:
The results of this study suggest that tooth extraction can be a cause of short-term cognitive decline in elderly patients. However, the possibility that loss of teeth is another contributing factor to long-term cognitive decline should be evaluated in further comprehensive clinical studies.
Keywords: Elderly, Tooth extraction, Cognitive functions
