Tooth loss has been shown to affect learning and memory in mice and increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease. The dentate gyrus is strongly associated with cognitive function. This study hypothesized that tooth loss affects neurons in the dentate gyrus. Adult male mice were randomly assigned to either the tooth loss group or normal control group. In the tooth loss group, the left maxillary and mandibular molars were extracted. Normal control mice did not receive any intervention. Immunofluorescence staining revealed that the density and absorbance of doublecortin- and neuronal nuclear antigen-positive cells were lower in the tooth loss group than in the normal control group. These data suggest that tooth loss may inhibit neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of adult mice.
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