Healthy teeth and gums help older adults maintain good physical health, and a new study indicates the benefits extend to mental health.

A new study of more than 60,000 adults aged 65 and older found that older adults who had significant tooth loss were less functional — both physically and mentally — when compared with people who lost fewer teeth.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

The new study wasn't the first to find a link between tooth loss and mental decline.

Researchers at Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine examined veterans living in the Boston area.

They found that the risk of doing poorly on cognitive tests rose 8 to 10 percent for each tooth lost per decade.

Professor Elizabeth Krall Kaye said inflammation is a possible cause, noting that other studies found higher levels of inflammation markers in people with Alzheimer’s.

"Periodontal disease and caries are infectious diseases that introduce inflammatory proteins into the blood," she said.

"There’s a lot of circumstantial evidence that inflammation raises your risk of cognitive decline, and it could be that gum inflammation is one of the sources."

In addition, a study from University College London found that the memory and walking speed of adults who had lost all of their teeth declined more rapidly than those who still had some of their natural teeth.

According to Dr. Russell Blaylock, author of The Blaylock Wellness Report, healthy teeth and gums are a key to well-being and a long life.

Deadly medical conditions, such as heart disease and cancer, are much more likely to strike those with periodontal disease, he says.

According to Blaylock, the following nutrients will strengthen teeth and help prevent gum disease:

• Vitamin D3
• Calcium citrate
• CoQ10
• Curcumin
• Quercetin
• Ellagic acid
• Grape seed extract
• Pycnogenol