ASSOCIATION OF RESIDUAL RIDGE RESORPTION WITH SYSTEMIC FACTORS IN HOME-LIVING ELDERLY SUBJECTS

Residual ridge resorption after loss of teeth is a multifactorial oral problem. To examine the association of residual ridge resorption with systemic factors, a cross-sectional study was made of 177 edentulous subjects (43 men and 134 women) aged 76, 81, and 86 years. Resorption in the mandibular and maxillary residual ridges was assessed from pano ramic radiographs. The effects on residual ridge resorption of the age , gender, smoking, alcohol intake, body mass index, functioning in dai ly living, and certain systemic diseases of the subjects were investig ated. After adjustment for age and duration of edentulousness, the eld erly women had a greater amount of reduction in the mandibular residua l ridge than the men (P < 0.001). When the resorption was classified i nto slight or moderate and severe resorptions, the elderly with asthma were at high risk of severe reduction in the edentulous mandible (odd s ratio, 6.0; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.3-28.2); the elderly wom en were at high risk of severe resorption in the edentulous mandible, with an odds ratio of 4.5 (95% CI, 1.2-17.1); an inverse association w as found between alcohol intake and severe resorption in the edentulou s maxilla (odds ratio, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.9). This study suggests that asthma due to corticosteroid treatment is to be considered a risk ind icator for severe resorption of the edentulous mandible; alcohol intak e in the elderly may be related to a lesser degree of resorption of th e edentulous maxilla. Female gender is confirmed as a major factor res ulting in mandibular atrophy.