In this regard, a research team led by scientists from Osaka University in Japan conducted a large-scale study that included analyzing the health and dental records of 190,282 adults aged 75 and older. The scientists classified the condition of each tooth individually as either missing, healthy, filled (restored), or decayed.
The results showed that having a greater number of healthy or filled teeth was associated with a similarly low risk of death, while an increase in the number of missing or decayed teeth was associated with a clear increase in the risk of death, which supports the results of previous studies that addressed the relationship between oral health and longevity.
The scientists explained that "the total number of healthy and filled teeth is a more accurate indicator for predicting mortality rates from any cause, compared to the number of healthy teeth alone or the combined number of healthy, filled, and decayed teeth
The mortality rate from any cause is measured by the probability of a person dying prematurely regardless of the cause, and oral health is believed to be closely linked to overall health through multiple factors, most notably chronic inflammation.
The team pointed out that tooth loss or decay can lead to persistent infections that can spread to other parts of the body, and that a lack of teeth can make it difficult to chew food, negatively affecting nutrition and maintaining a healthy and balanced diet.
These results highlight the importance of oral health care, as dental restoration and treatment not only contribute to maintaining oral health, but may also reduce the risk of premature death.
However, the scientists acknowledged that their study was not without some limitations, as the results may be affected by other factors not included in the data, such as socioeconomic status, which may be reflected in the level of healthcare and life expectancy.
The research team emphasizes that future studies should not be limited to the number of teeth only, but should include an assessment of their clinical condition, noting that the reasons for the high rates of premature death among the elderly suffering from tooth loss still need further research.
The study results were published in the journa BMC Oral Health.
