Influence of dentition status on physical disability mental impairment, and mortality in institutionalized elderly people

The loss of teeth is known to influence the mastication of foods and nutrit ional status. Therefore, we hypothesize that poor dentition status can impa ir the systemic health of the aged. To clarify the influence of dentition s tatus on deterioration in physical ability, mental impairment, and mortalit y, we conducted a six-year prospective cohort study of the institutionalize d elderly living in 29 of the 30 institutions for the elderly in Kitakyushu , Japan. Bivariate analysis revealed that worse dentition status at baselin e led to-significantly worse physical and mental impairment, and higher mor tality. In a multiple logistic regression analysis, the physical ability of edentulous subjects without dentures significantly deteriorated compared w ith that of dentate subjects with 20 or more teeth. The six-year mortality rate of the edentulous subjects without dentures was significantly higher t han that of the subjects with 20 or more teeth. Poorer dentition status, es pecially edentulousness without dentures, may therefore be related to deter ioration in the systemic health of the aged.