Oral health status as a predictor of changes in general health among elderly people
Year: 2005
Type: dissertation
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Hamalainen, Piia Oral health status as a predictor of changes in general health among the elderly people Jyvaskyla: University of Jyvaskyla, 2005, 77 p. (Studies in Sport, Physical Education and Health ISSN 0356-1070; 105) ISBN 951-39-2112-3 Finnish summary Diss. During the last decade the effect of oral health on general health has attracted growing interest. The purpose of the present series of studies conducted among an elderly population was, first, to examine dental health over a sufficiently long follow-up period and, second, to determine how far the baseline dental status predicts subsequent changes in general health status, including respiratory capacity, muscle strength and mortality. These five studies were part of the larger, population-based Evergreen project. The study population consisted of all persons born in 1910 and resident in Jyvaskyla, Finland. The baseline data were collected in 1990, the 5-year follow-up was conducted in 1995, and the 10-year follow-up in 2000. The data were collected by interviews at the participants’ homes and by examinations at the study centre. The best oral health characteristics were found among men who survived over the ten-year follow-up period. Overall, men had better oral health status than women. Among the participants followed up for ten years these differences were most significant at the baseline, diminishing thereafter. Edentulous men with complete dentures showed poorest pulmonary capacity at the baseline and the steepest reduction in respiratory function. A small number of remaining teeth was associated with poor handgrip strength crosssectionally, while poor periodontal status predicted a steeper decline in strength over the five-year follow-up period. Both a small number of remaining teeth and urgent need for dental treatment at the baseline could be used as a predictor of increased mortality risk. The results suggest that among older people oral health status either contributes to general health and survival through nutritional status or cytokine release or runs parallel with common underlying factors, such as socioeconomic factors and lifestyle. Oral health status can be used as a screening tool to locate those people who are at increased risk of loss of independence in various activities of daily living or of early mortality.
Source: Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja
Author: Piia Hämäläinen
Language: English
Subfield: General Dentistry
Field: Dentistry
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1503908351