A research group led by Assistant Professor Tomoaki Mameno and Professor Kazunori Ikebe of Osaka University Graduate School of Dentistry and Professor Ryohei Yamamoto of the Osaka University's Health and Counseling Center has announced the results of a follow-up study in about 187,000 adults aged ≥75 years in Osaka Prefecture. The survey results show that that poorer occlusion of back teeth was associated with a higher mortality rate and that the probability of death in those using poorly fitting or no dentures was up to 1.8 times higher than those with good occlusion of the back teeth in the same period. The study revealed the importance of proper use of dentures in maintaining the health of older adults. The results were published in Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, an international journal, on November 29.
As progression towards a super-aged society continues, an increasing number of older adults have fewer remaining teeth. Although denture use is thought to contribute to health maintenance, there have been no large-scale studies measuring the effects of various patterns of remaining teeth and denture conditions on mortality risk in older adults.
In this study, the research group followed 186,893 people who underwent dental examinations for older adults aged ≥75 years and who were provided as part of the public healthcare services in Osaka Prefecture for an average of 3.2 years. The analysis on the effects of denture conditions on mortality risk showed an association between denture conditions and mortality risk. Poorer occlusion of back teeth was found to be associated with a higher frequency of death. In particular, among older adults with reduced posterior occlusion, users of well-fitting dentures had a lower mortality risk than other groups. This result indicates that proper denture use plays an important role in the health of older adults even after tooth loss.
According to Eichner's classification of dentition, the probability of death was highest in the group of poorly fitting dentures rated as C3 (1.83 times higher than the A1 to A3 group as the standard), followed by the group of no dentures rated as C3 (1.79 times higher). Furthermore, in all Eichner groups, the subgroup of well-fitting dentures showed a lower probability of death than that of poorly fitting dentures or no dentures. Eichner's classification is a method of classifying the occlusal state of back teeth into three groups based on the pattern of remaining occlusal contacts by the upper and lower back teeth (premolars and molars). The three groups are A (all contacts retained), B (partially lost), and C (all lost), and these groups are further divided into subgroups (A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, B4, C1, C2, C3) in descending order of the number of occlusal contacts. The probability of death may be even higher for users of poorly fitting dentures or no dentures.
Ikebe said, "Dentures are used to assist the eating function of people who have lost their teeth, but there has been virtually no evidence regarding their health benefits. This large-scale survey of approximately 187,000 older adults revealed that dentures are particularly important for those who had no occlusal contacts between their back teeth, and that denture condition has a major impact on life expectancy."
Journal Information
Publication: Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry
Title: Removable denture use, fit, and all-cause mortality in older adults with reduced occlusal support: The OHSAKA study
DOI: 10.1016/j.prosdent.2024.10.037
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