Tooth loss and mortality in elderly japanese adults: Effect of oral care

Objectives To assess whether oral care (tooth brushing, regular dental visits, and use of dentures) affects mortality in elderly individuals with tooth loss. Design A 4-year prospective cohort study. Setting Ohsaki City, Japan. Participants Twenty-one thousand seven hundred thirty community-dwelling individuals aged 65 and older. Measurements In a baseline survey in 2006, data were collected on number of remaining teeth and oral care status as measures of dental health. Data were also collected on age, sex, education level, smoking, alcohol drinking, time spent walking daily, medical history, psychological distress, and energy and protein intake as covariates. During the 4-year follow-up between 2006 and 2010, information on mortality was obtained from Ohsaki City government. Results The multivariate-adjusted Cox proportional hazards model showed an inverse dose-response relationship between number of remaining teeth and mortality (P for trend <.001). In participants with 0 to 19 teeth, practicing oral care was inversely associated with mortality. The multivariate hazard ratio for mortality in participants who practiced all three types of oral care was 0.54 (95% confidence interval = 0.45-0.64), compared with participants who practiced none of the three. Conclusion Tooth brushing, regular dental visits, and use of dentures are inversely associated with mortality in elderly individuals with tooth loss.