Does oral frailty affect healthy life expectancy?
Investigators have explored the impact of dental visits on the link between oral frailty and healthy life expectancy among older adults.
In a prospective cohort study published in Geriatrics & Gerontology, the investigators used 2016 data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study as well as health records from the national long-term care insurance database to identify dental visits and oral frailty — characterized as having at least three indicators, including fewer teeth; difficulty chewing, swallowing or speaking; or dry mouth — among more than 11,000 adults aged 65 years and older.
The investigators found that 12% and just under 50% of the participants had oral frailty and visited a dentist in the past six months, respectively. The participants with oral frailty were more likely to experience disability or death. However, an absence of oral frailty was associated with a higher healthy life expectancy by 1.43 years among male participants and 1.13 years among female participants. Dental visits increased the healthy life expectancy by about one year in both sexes.
The findings suggested that because of the role dental visits may play in mitigating the correlation between oral frailty and disability or death, there may be a critical need for public health policies encouraging positive oral health in older adults.
Read more: Geriatrics & Gerontology
The article presented here is intended to inform you about the broader media perspective on dentistry, regardless of its alignment with the ADA's stance. It is important to note that publication of an article does not imply the ADA's endorsement, agreement, or promotion of its content.