Denture use and a slower rate of cognitive decline among older adults with partial tooth loss in China: A 10‐year prospective cohort study
2024

Denture Use and Cognitive Decline in Older Adults

Sample size: 27708 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Qi Xiang, Zhu Zheng, Pei Yaolin, Wu Bei

Primary Institution: Rory Meyers College of Nursing, New York University

Hypothesis

Denture use is associated with better cognitive function and a slower rate of cognitive decline among Chinese older adults with tooth loss over a 10‐year period.

Conclusion

Denture use may help protect against cognitive decline in older adults with partial tooth loss.

Supporting Evidence

  • Denture users had better baseline cognitive function compared to non-denture users.
  • Denture use was associated with a slower annual decline in cognitive function among dentate participants.
  • Results were consistent across various subgroup analyses.

Takeaway

Wearing dentures can help older people with missing teeth think better and slow down how quickly they forget things.

Methodology

Data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (2008–2018) was analyzed using linear mixed‐effect models to assess cognitive function and denture use.

Potential Biases

Potential recall bias due to reliance on interview questionnaires for dental status and health behaviors.

Limitations

The study lacked detailed dental examination data and relied on self-reported measures, which may introduce bias.

Participant Demographics

Mean age of participants was 86 years, with 43.4% men and 35.2% edentulous.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p<0.001

Confidence Interval

95% CI, 0.813–1.251

Statistical Significance

p<0.001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1002/agm2.12383

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