Does tooth loss make you forgetful? Picture: Matt Hoyle Source: Supplied A GAP-toothed grin is one of the risks of growing older, and absent-mindedness is another - but the two could go hand-in-hand. Research suggests that losing our teeth is actually a cause of memory loss. Sensory impulses created by the movement of our jaw and teeth are fed to the area of the brain that forms and retrieves memories, say scientists. Those without their own teeth produce fewer signals to be sent to this region, which is called the hippocampus. The number of teeth an individual has is linked 'uniquely and significantly' to their performance on tests of episodic memory, where they recall events from the past, and semantic memory, involving factual information. After taking other factors into account, older people with most of their own teeth had on average a 4 per cent better memory than those without, the study found. However, the results could also be down to chewing, which increases blood flow in the brain. The research, published online by the European Journal of Oral Sciences, involved 273 participants, aged 55 to 80 and was carried out by universities in Norway and Sweden. Artificial dental implants can restore sensory input "to some extent" but still result in fewer signals to the brain, the study found.