Tooth loss and cognitive impairment

• Published in: Journal of clinical periodontology Vol. 36; no. 7; pp. 550 - 557
• Main Authors: Grabe, Hans Joergen, Schwahn, Christian, Völzke, Henry, Spitzer, Carsten, Freyberger, Harald Juergen, John, Ulrich, Mundt, Thorsten, Biffar, Reiner, Kocher, Thomas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.07.2009; Blackwell
• Subjects: Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Causality; Chi-Square Distribution; Cognition Disorders - diagnosis; Cognition Disorders - epidemiology; cognitive impairment; Comorbidity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Facial bones, jaws, teeth, parodontium: diseases, semeiology; Female; general population; Geriatric Assessment; Germany - epidemiology; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Mental Status Schedule; Non tumoral diseases; Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; periodontitis; Periodontitis - epidemiology; Regression Analysis; Sex Factors; Socioeconomic Factors; Statistics, Nonparametric; tooth loss; Tooth Loss - epidemiology; Germany; Periodontal disease; Cognitive disorder; Periodontitis; Stomatology; Teeth; cognitive impairment; Tooth; Dentistry; general population; tooth loss
• ISSN: 0303-6979; 1600-051X; 1600-051X
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-051X.2009.01426.x

Objectives: Chronic subclinical inflammation may elevate the risk of cognitive impairment. Periodontitis is associated with subclinical inflammation and accounts in part for tooth loss. The hypothesis was tested that periodontitis and tooth loss as a proxy of chronic periodontitis is associated with cognitive impairment in the elderly. Subjects and Methods: The population‐based Study of Health in Pomerania comprises 1336 subjects (60–79 years). Cognitive impairment was assessed with the Mini‐Mental Status Examination (MMSE). Tobit regression analyses were adjusted for potential confounders. Results: A decreased number of teeth was associated with lower MMSE scores in females (p<0.001) and males (p=0.007) in age‐adjusted models. In the fully adjusted models, tooth loss was associated with cognitive impairment in females (p=0.002) but not in males (p=0.825). Conclusions: A significant association between tooth loss and cognitive impairment was found in females that was not accounted for by potential confounders. Former periodontitis may account for this association as periodontitis was frequently the cause for tooth extractions.