Oral Conditions, Oral Health Related Quality of Life and Cognitive Function: Preliminary Results from the Health and Retirement Study

Abstract

Background: Growing evidence suggests that cognitive functioning is influenced by oral health status. This study examines the association between the status or condition of the mouth as measured by self-report (OH), oral health related quality of life (OHRQoL) and dental care utilization on cognitive function. Design: Population‐based cross‐sectional study. Setting: United States Health and Retirement Study (2018). Participants: Community‐dwelling adults above 50 years of age (N = 1268; Mean age (SD) 67.14 ± 10.54 years). Measurements: Self-reported condition of mouth and teeth, number of teeth and denture use were used to determine the OH. OHRQoL was assessed as a composite score using self-reported pain or distress due to gums or teeth, difficulty to relax, avoiding eating certain foods, or socializing due to oral health issues. Validated cognitive score cut-offs were used: (i) (≥12) representing normal cognition (ii) (6–11) “cognitive impairment, not demented” (CIND), and (iii) (<6) dementia. Results: We found that participants with worse OHRQoL had 0.15 units lower global cognitive scores (β = −0.15, SE = 0.03, p = < 0.0001). Compared to those with dementia, participants in normal and CIND categories had greater odds of better OH (ORNormal = 1.76, (95%CI: 1.09–2.84); ORCIND = 2.86, (95%CI: 1.60–5.09)). Furthermore, participants in the CIND category had greater odds of using dentures compared to participants with dementia (ORCIND = 2.71, (95%CI: 1.49–4.93)). We did not find any statistically significant association between tooth loss or dental utilization and dementia. Open Access Received: 05 March 2020 Accepted: 22 December 2021 Published: 29 December 2021 Copyright © 2021 by the author(s). Licensee Hapres, London, United Kingdom. This is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Advances in Geriatric Medicine and Research 2 of 12 Conclusions: This study provides valuable preliminary insights into the potential association between OH and OHRQoL and cognitive function. If further validated, this method may allow dental and cognitive triage for follow-up assessments in community dwelling adults who may have limited access to care.