Japanese scientists have studied how 13 oral health characteristics are associated with the risk of functional disability and death. An analysis of a sample of almost 24,000 people showed that almost all 13 oral health indicators are associated with these risks, but the assessment of chewing function had the greatest impact on both the risk of death and the risk of disability. The article was published in the journal The Lancet Healthy Longevity.
It is estimated that more than 3.5 billion people worldwide suffer from oral diseases. Despite this, oral health is not given enough attention in clinical practice, which is why the World Health Organization has set a goal to achieve universal health coverage for oral health by 2030.
In the context of global aging, oral hygiene in older age is critical to maintaining health and longevity. For example, poor oral hygiene may increase the risk of aspiration pneumonia and Alzheimer's disease. In addition, oral health problems are associated with deterioration in physical function in older adults. However, there are very few large-scale, comprehensive studies examining the relationship between oral health and the most common adverse outcomes in older age: functional disability and death.
A research team led by Takafumi Abe from Shimane University used data obtained from oral examinations of elderly people over 75 years of age. They assessed 13 oral health characteristics: number of remaining teeth, subjective chewing efficiency, objective chewing efficiency, periodontal tissue condition, functional swallowing disorder, tongue mobility, articulation, oral hygiene, number of decayed teeth, maladaptation of upper and lower dentures, oral mucosal diseases, and dry mouth.
Between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2022, 24,619 individuals underwent an oral health examination at least once. The mortality analysis included 22,747 individuals (9,722 men and 13,025 women, mean age 78.34 years). The final functional disability analysis included 21,881 individuals (9,175 men and 12,706 women, mean age 78.31 years). The primary analysis showed that all 13 oral health aspects examined were associated with the risk of death, and 11 of them (all except oral mucosal pathologies and dry mouth) were associated with the risk of functional disability.
Additional calculations and specific analyses showed that the three aspects of oral health that most influenced functional impairment were objective chewing efficiency, periodontal tissue status, and number of remaining teeth. The association with mortality was most influenced by objective chewing efficiency, number of teeth, and subjective chewing efficiency.
According to the authors, the objective factor of oral health, which especially influences the risk of developing functional disability and death, is the ability to chew. This allows for preventive measures aimed directly at preventing and treating masticatory pathologies.
Earlier we reported on the work of European scientists who found that the share of energy expenditure on chewing in humans is approximately five times less than in non-human apes.