Department of Preventive Dentistry, Kyungpook National University School of Dentistry, Daegu 41940, Korea.
Department of Dental Hygiene, Kyungpook National University College of Science & Technology, Sangju 37224, Korea.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Feb 19;18(4):1996. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18041996.
Age-related decline in cognitive function is a major challenge in geriatric healthcare. A possible explanation is that the tooth loss or low chewing ability is at cause of cognitive impairment or dementia. The study aimed to investigate the potential relationship between chewing ability and cognitive function in the elderly. A total of 563 participants aged 65 years or over residing in urban and rural areas of South Korea were surveyed. The chewing ability was measured by objectively measurable indications such as the number of remaining teeth, denture status, color-changeable gum, and occlusal balance using T-Scan III. The cognitive function was measured by the Korean version of Mini-Mental State Examination-Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS) and a score of 24 or more (out of 30) indicates a normal cognition, below 23 indicates cognitive impairment. The association between socio-demographic factors, chewing ability factors, and cognitive function demonstrated statistically significant results. When comparing the denture status and chewing ability, the proportion of need denture group had fewer remaining teeth and anterior balanced occlusion. The average number of remaining teeth in anterior balanced occlusion with cognitive impairment was 11.2 compared to posterior balanced occlusion with the normal cognition 19.2. A multiple linear regression analysis declared a significant correlation between number of remaining teeth, denture status, occlusal balance, and cognitive function. Results of the present study revealed objectively measurable indications are suitable for chewing ability assessment and correlated with cognitive function.
年龄相关的认知功能下降是老年医疗保健面临的主要挑战。一种可能的解释是，牙齿缺失或咀嚼能力低下是导致认知障碍或痴呆的原因。本研究旨在探讨老年人咀嚼能力与认知功能之间的潜在关系。共调查了韩国城乡地区 563 名 65 岁或以上的参与者。咀嚼能力通过 T-Scan III 等客观可测量指标进行测量，如剩余牙齿数量、义齿状况、变色牙龈和咬合平衡。认知功能通过韩国版简易精神状态检查-痴呆筛查（MMSE-DS）进行测量，24 分或以上（满分 30 分）表示认知正常，23 分以下表示认知障碍。社会人口因素、咀嚼能力因素和认知功能之间的关联显示出统计学上的显著结果。在比较义齿状况和咀嚼能力时，需要义齿组的剩余牙齿数量和前向咬合平衡较少。认知障碍的前向咬合平衡中平均剩余牙齿数为 11.2 颗，而认知正常的后向咬合平衡中为 19.2 颗。多元线性回归分析表明，剩余牙齿数量、义齿状况、咬合平衡与认知功能之间存在显著相关性。本研究结果表明，客观可测量指标适用于咀嚼能力评估，并与认知功能相关。
