100 years old with their own teeth — what do those who have kept them do?

Aim of the study: To explore the role of sense of coherence (SOC) as a mediator in the relationship between childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) and tooth retention in adulthood.

Results: The relationship between childhood SEP and tooth retention in adulthood was mediated to a large extent by adulthood SEP and to a much lesser extent by SOC. There was only a weak association between childhood SEP and adult SOC, but favourable oral health-related behaviours appeared to link a strong SOC with greater tooth retention. The model was invariant across sexes and age groups. SOC is associated with tooth retention through oral health-related behaviours, but contributes little to the relationship between childhood SEP and tooth retention.

Aim of the study: The number of individual teeth decreases with age, resulting in a decrease in masticatory capacity, and is an important indicator of oral health. However, it is difficult to estimate the number of present teeth on the basis of age alone. We aimed to determine whether tooth retention could be estimated by the number of present teeth in middle-old-aged individuals.

Results: In total, 294 (52.8%) subjects retained teeth during a 3-year follow-up period. The number of present teeth and the proportion of subjects with complete tooth retention after 3 years decreased with increasing age. A greater number of present teeth in the baseline year was associated with complete tooth retention after 3 years in a greater proportion of subjects (p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis revealed that the proportion of subjects with tooth retention in the Q4 quartile (28 teeth) was 9.17 times that in the Q1 quartile (less than 26 present teeth), even after adjusting for sociodemographic factors and oral health behavior in middle-aged individuals. In elderly individuals, tooth retention in the Q4 quartile (28 teeth) was 4.50 times that in the Q1 quartile (less than 17 teeth). The number of present teeth could be used to estimate tooth retention over a 3-year period.

Aim of the study: The number of people aged 65 years or older is growing substantially. As a result of increased health burden and tooth retention, more oral health problems are expected in this age group. A poor oral health-related quality of life (OHQoL) can compromise a person's psychological state, social relationships, personal beliefs, and physical health.

Results: Of 3,702 references retrieved from the databases, 68 studies were eligible and included (9 randomized clinical trials, 6 cohort studies, and 53 cross-sectional studies). All results were reported descriptively. OHQoL in people aged 65 years or older is positively associated with higher number of teeth, higher number of occluding pairs, implant-retained overdentures, and the shortened dental arch concept and negatively associated with xerostomia, orofacial pain, and poor chewing ability. In the current literature, there is no consensus on the association between edentulism, caries, and periodontal conditions and OHQoL.

Aim of the study: Loss of underlying supportive alveolar bone is a major cause of tooth loss. Alveolar bone loss appears to be related to the status of the extracranial skeleton, and therapies that preserve skeletal bone may be expected to benefit tooth retention.

Results: An association between postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and tooth retention was found in a cohort of 488 elderly women, 72 to 95 years old, who participated in the Framingham Heart Study between 1948 and 1995. There was an association between duration of HRT and tooth retention for total number of teeth remaining and the individual types of teeth (incisors, canines, and premolars, but not molars) retained. The odds of being edentulous were reduced by 6% for each 1-year increase in duration of HRT use. The data suggest that postmenopausal HRT protects against tooth loss and reduces the risk of edentulism.