Tooth loss is associated with severe cognitive impairment among older people: findings from a population-based study in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: A consistent and low-to-moderate association between markers of oral infection and loss of cognitive function has been demonstrated in the literature. However, such evidence comes from population studies carried out mainly in the USA. OBJECTIVES: To assess the association between tooth loss and loss of cognitive function in older people from Southern Brazil, with particular interest on how age may modify such association. In addition, we also test the association between loss of cognition (exposure) and tooth loss (outcome). METHODS: Data from a baseline population-based cohort study were cross-sectionally analyzed, including tooth loss, cognitive impairment, sex, income, educational attainment, color/race, smoking status and a range of self-reported chronic diseases. Participants (n = 1705) were 60 years of age and over, from a midsized Southern Brazilian city. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were estimated using multivariable logistic and partial ordinal logistic analyses. RESULTS: Edentate status was associated (OR 3.3; 95%CI 1.2-9.3) with severe cognitive impairment in the fully adjusted model. Moreover, there was an interaction between number of teeth and age on severe cognitive impairment. A weak association between severe cognitive impairment (exposure) and tooth loss (outcome) was identified after the adjustment for potential covariates. CONCLUSIONS: This study lends support to hypothesized association between tooth loss and severe cognitive impairment. Older adults seem to be particularly vulnerable to such effects. However, the bidirectional association between tooth loss and severe cognitive impairment cannot be ruled out.

Tooth loss is associated with increased blood pressure in adults--a multidisciplinary population-based study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether tooth loss is associated with increased blood pressure among adults after controlling for socioeconomic, health, and lifestyle confounders. We also assessed the interactions between tooth loss and smoking status and tooth loss and age on systolic blood pressure (SBP). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A population-based cross-sectional study was carried out with 1720 adults from Florianópolis, Brazil. Data collection included blood pressure, anthropometric measures, and a questionnaire on socio-demographics, self-rated health, diabetes, self-reported number of natural teeth, and dental prosthesis. We used linear multivariable regression models for the association of blood pressure with tooth loss adjusting for potential confounders. RESULTS: Edentulous subjects had a SBP 8.3 mmHg (95% CI 0.1; 16.7) higher than those with more than 10 teeth in both arches after adjustment for potential confounders. We found interaction between tooth loss and smoking status. Moderate/heavy smokers were associated with considerably higher SBP than light, former or non-smokers among edentulous and also partly among dentate with less than 10 teeth in at least one arch, but there was no real association between smoking and SBP among those with 10 or more teeth in both arches. CONCLUSIONS: Total tooth loss is associated with increased levels of SBP in this adult population.