Posterior occluding pairs of teeth or dentures and 1-year mortality in nursing home residents in Japan.

BACKGROUND

Associations between tooth loss and mortality have been reported in older individuals. However, limited information is available regarding the association between occlusion and mortality in nursing home residents.

OBJECTIVE

We investigated the association between posterior occluding pairs (POPs) of teeth or dentures and 1-year mortality in nursing home residents.

METHODS

The subjects of this study were residents from four nursing homes in Aichi prefecture, Japan, who were capable of eating and were enrolled in baseline examinations. We examined the number of present teeth and POPs (0-8 pairs), defined as pairs of occluding natural, restored or fixed prosthetic post-canine teeth. Then, we defined prosthetic POPs (0-8 pairs) as pairs of occluding natural, restored or fixed prosthetic post-canine teeth and removable dentures. Nutritional status, activities of daily living, cognitive function and comorbid conditions were assessed. One year later, we followed up the subjects. Ultimately, we analysed 173 elderly people (mean age ± SD: 87.1 ± 8.6 years; the survival group: N = 145, the deceased group: N = 28).

RESULTS

In univariate analyses, mortality was significantly associated with age, peripheral vascular disease, nutritional status, diet texture and POPs. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, subjects who had 0 prosthetic POPs had significantly higher odds of a high mortality, compared with 8 prosthetic POPs.

CONCLUSION

Lack of properly occluding posterior teeth, whether remaining teeth or dentures, is associated with 1-year mortality. (228 words/250).