Abstract
Background: Reports on the possible risks for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have included tooth loss as a potential risk factor. However, there are few studies addressing the association between tooth loss and AD in a large sample of participants. Accordingly, the objective of the current study was to explore the association of tooth loss with the development of AD in Korean adults. Methods: This nested case–control study, which is an analysis utilizing the data of the Korean National Health Insurance Service Health Screening Cohort study, randomly selected AD and control participants among Korean residents aged ≥60 years. The association between the number of missing teeth and AD occurrence was examined using a logistic regression model. Participants’ lifestyle factors (smoking and alcohol consumption) and various medical conditions and comorbidities were included as covariates. Results: The mean number of missing teeth was 2.94 in the AD group and 2.59 in the control group. After adjusting for covariates, tooth loss was significantly associated with AD, with an odds ratio (OR) (per 16 missing teeth) of 1.15 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.07–1.23, p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tooth loss remained consistently significantly associated with an increased risk of AD for both upper and lower tooth loss. A higher number of missing teeth was related to a higher probability of AD occurrence in an elderly Korean population. Efforts to manage tooth loss could be a possible approach to prevent AD.
Highlights
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a multifarious neurodegenerative disease characterized by the gradual and progressive loss of one or more functions of the nervous system and results in a decrease in learning capability and memory and mental, behavioral, and functional deterioration [1]
Clinical studies have indicated that tooth loss is associated with AD and dementia [5,6,7,8], and experimental studies have demonstrated that tooth loss leads to memory deterioration and loss of neuronal cells [9,10,11]
Obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, SBP, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), fasting blood glucose, total cholesterol, and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) scores were different between the two groups
Summary
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a multifarious neurodegenerative disease characterized by the gradual and progressive loss of one or more functions of the nervous system and results in a decrease in learning capability and memory and mental, behavioral, and functional deterioration [1]. Numerous studies have suggested that one of the potential risk factors for cognitive decline is oral health carelessness [2]. Tooth loss is a prevalent condition in the elderly population, representing a problem for general health and negatively impacting quality of daily life and cognitive function. Reports on the possible risks for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have included tooth loss as a potential risk factor. There are few studies addressing the association between tooth loss and AD in a large sample of participants. The objective of the current study was to explore the association of tooth loss with the development of AD in Korean adults. After adjusting for covariates, tooth loss was significantly associated with AD, with an odds ratio (OR) (per 16 missing teeth) of 1.15 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.07–1.23, p < 0.001)
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