ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess which factors affected the maintenance of more than 20 teeth in Japanese patients aged 80 years and older, using a life-course perspective. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The oral examination was carried out by dentists. The questionnaire asked about family background, background during various stages of growing up, tooth brushing, snacking, job history, health examination, war experience, number of children, oral health condition and dietary preferences. Some of the questions asked about conditions when they were a primary school student, 20 years old, 40 years old and 60 years old. Multivariable logistic-regression analysis was used to adjust for sex at significant life stages. RESULTS: The group with mothers who did not prefer sweet food had an approximately four times greater chance of having >or=20 teeth compared with the group with mothers who preferred sweet food. Those participants who did not prefer sweet food themselves were approximately three to five times more likely to be in the >or=20 tooth group compared with those who preferred sweet food at all stages of their life course. Non-smokers and those who quit smoking were three times more likely to be in the >or=20 tooth group than those who smoked throughout the years from 20 to 60 years of age. CONCLUSIONS: Factors associated with the maintenance of a sufficient number of functioning teeth were: not having a mother with a preference for sweet food, not having a preference for sweet food themselves and not smoking over a long period.
Subject(s)
Attitude to Health , Health Behavior , Oral Health , Age Factors , Aged, 80 and over , Employment , Family , Family Characteristics , Feeding Behavior , Female , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Health Services , Human Development , Humans , Japan , Jaw, Edentulous/prevention & control , Male , Mother-Child Relations , Sex Factors , Smoking , Smoking Cessation , Tooth Loss/prevention & control , Toothbrushing , WarfareABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess whether elderly people with 20 or more natural teeth were more likely to live longer than a cohort with less than 20 teeth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Groups of elderly people over 80 years of age (24 males and 35 females) with 20 or more teeth (>or=20 group) were compared with elderly people (24 males and 35 females) with less than 20 teeth (<20 group). Follow-up studies were conducted at regular intervals for 10 years from July 1992 to July 2002. The cumulative survival rate of the >or=20 group (average +/- SE tooth number of teeth - males, 23.9 +/- 0.6; females, 23.8 +/- 0.4) was compared with the <20 group (average number of teeth - males, 3.8 +/- 1.1; females, 2.6 +/- 0.8). The multivariate Cox proportional hazard models with the number of teeth in a group (>or=20 group or <20 group). Smoking status and alcohol intake as covariates were used to adjust the cumulative survival rate. RESULTS: The male participants in the >or=20 group had a significantly higher cumulative survival rates (p < 0.05) than the <20 group at 18 and 21 months from baseline. There were no significant differences in survival rates between the female groups. Adjusted cumulative survival rate was significantly different at 72, 75 and 78 months between the >or=20 group and <20 group for males but not for females. CONCLUSION: Having 20 or more natural teeth was associated with increased survival rate in elderly males, but not among the elderly females.
