Tooth loss associated with cognitive impairment in older Chinese adults

Researchers examined the relationship between remaining natural teeth and cognitive impairment in 6,997 adults aged 60 years or older from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. This cross-sectional analysis, published in BMC Public Health, assessed cognition using the Mini-Mental State Examination and relied on self-reported tooth counts. Multivariable regression and restricted cubic splines were used to assess associations and their dose–response pattern.

Fewer remaining natural teeth were associated with higher odds of cognitive impairment, with spline analyses indicating a linear relationship. In an analysis combining tooth loss and denture use, participants with no natural teeth and no dentures had the highest prevalence relative to participants with at least 20 natural teeth who used dentures: adjusted prevalence ratio 2.801 (95% CI 1.974–3.974). There was no statistically significant additive interaction between tooth loss and denture use.

The findings support considering oral health within healthy-aging research, but do not demonstrate that tooth loss causes cognitive impairment or that dentures prevent it. Cross-sectional measurement cannot establish temporal relationships, and self-reported tooth counts are a measurement limitation. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify these associations. The authors reported no research funding or competing interests.