Association Between Oral Health Status and DMFT Index with Cognitive Dysfunction in Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Type 2 Diabetes: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: Cognitive dysfunction is a significant issue in old age and can cause many problems in older adults, especially those with diabetes. This study aimed to investigate the association between oral health status and DMFT index with cognitive dysfunction in community-dwelling older adults with T2D (type 2 diabetes).

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that included 245 older people aged 60 years and older with T2D, visiting healthcare centers in north of Iran, using the cluster sampling method. Data collection tools included clinical-demographic questionnaire, the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) and the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) questionnaire. A P-value <.05 was considered significant.

Results: The mean age of older adults in this study was 64.86 ± 3.99 years. The mean and standard deviation for the DMFT index, GOHAI index and MMSE scale were 9.39 ± 3.83, 34.29 ± 17.93 and 15.18 ± 10.04 respectively. The results showed statistically significant relationship between poor oral health status and the cognitive status of older adults with T2D (p < .001). Additionally, the relationship between oral health index domains (physical function, psychosocial function and pain) and cognitive status in older adults was significant (p < .001). Another finding indicated an inverse and significant relationship between the DMFT index and cognitive dysfunction in older adults (p < .001).

Conclusion: Poor oral health was associated with cognitive dysfunction among the community-dwelling older adults with T2D. Given the high prevalence of T2D in older adults and the critical importance of oral and dental health for cognition, it is necessary to develop interventions to improve oral health in older adults with T2D.