Study Reveals Your Teeth Might Predict Early Death

There is growing evidence that the quantity of missing teeth someone has can indicate their likelihood of passing away prematurely, and recent research suggests the condition of their remaining teeth might also play a crucial role.

A research team from the University of Osaka in Japan analysed health and dental records involving 190,282 adults aged 75 and above.

They categorised each tooth's position as missing, healthy, filled (repaired), or decayed.

Findings showed that both healthy and filled teeth were comparably tied to a reduced mortality risk.

More missing or decayed teeth correlated with increased mortality risk, supporting previous findings.

"The total number of sound and filled teeth predicted all-cause mortality more accurately than the number of sound teeth alone, or the number of sound, filled, and decayed teeth combined," write the researchers in their report.

All-cause mortality refers to the probability of someone dying earlier than they typically would due to any cause.

It is believed that oral health is closely linked to general health through factors such as inflammation.

The study suggests that missing or decayed teeth may contribute to chronic inflammation that could affect other body areas.

Possessing fewer teeth might also impair one's ability to chew food and maintain a wholesome, nutritious diet.

This study emphasises the importance of oral health: Restoring and repairing teeth could not only enhance oral well-being but also potentially shield against premature death.

"Although multiple studies have identified the number of non-missing teeth as a significant predictor of all-cause mortality, few have assessed the impact of each tooth's clinical condition on all-cause mortality," writes the team.

The researchers acknowledge that the outcomes might be affected by unrecorded variables.

A failure to provide adequate dental care might indicate low socioeconomic status, for instance, which can also impact life expectancy.

The research aligns with another modern study in Geriatrics & Gerontology, conducted by a team at the Institute of Science, Tokyo.

It assessed oral frailty more broadly, which includes missing teeth, chewing and swallowing problems, dry mouth, and speaking difficulties.

Individuals with three or more of these indicators were 1.23 times more prone to needing long-term care and 1.34 times more likely to perish during the study interval, based on data from 11,080 older adults.

It's another indicator that maintaining your oral health enhances your chances of living a longer, healthier life.

The University of Osaka scientists recommend future investigations to not only examine tooth count but also their health condition.

There remains much to understand about why those with fewer teeth in older age are more likely to die sooner.

"The mechanism underlying the association between the number of decayed and filled teeth and all-cause mortality should be carefully investigated in well-designed cohort studies," conclude the authors.