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Associations Between Oral Health and Risk of Dementia in a 37‐Year Follow‐Up Study: The Prospective Population Study of Women in Gothenburg
Author(s) -
Stewart Robert,
Stenman Ulrika,
Hakeberg Magnus,
Hägglin Catharina,
Gustafson Deb,
Skoog Ingmar
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of the american geriatrics society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.992
H-Index - 232
eISSN - 1532-5415
pISSN - 0002-8614
DOI - 10.1111/jgs.13194
Subject(s) - medicine , dementia , odds ratio , confidence interval , prospective cohort study , stroke (engine) , population , diabetes mellitus , body mass index , cohort study , quartile , dentistry , disease , endocrinology , mechanical engineering , environmental health , engineering
Objectives To investigate the association between incident dementia and previous number of teeth measured over a long interval. Design Retrospective analysis of a 37‐year cohort study. Setting Prospective Population Study of Women in Gothenburg. Participants Women with (n = 158) and without (n = 539) dementia in 2000 to 2005. Measurements Tooth counts in 1968–69, 1980–81, and 1992–93. Covariates included age, education, stroke, myocardial infarction, diabetes mellitus, smoking status, blood pressure, body mass index, and cholesterol level. Results After adjustment for age, odds ratios (ORs) for dementia in 2000–05, comparing first with fourth tooth count quartiles, were 1.81 (95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.03–3.19) for tooth counts measured in 1968, 2.25 (95% CI = 1.18–4.32) for those in 1980, and 1.99 (0.92–4.30) for those in 1992. After further adjustment for education, ORs were 1.40 (95% CI = 1.03–3.19) for 1968, 1.96 (95% CI = 0.98–3.95) for 1980, and 1.59 (95% CI = 0.71–3.53) for 1992, and after additional adjustment for vascular risk factors, ORs were 1.38 (95% CI = 0.74–2.58) for 1968, 2.09 (95% CI = 1.01–4.32) for 1980, and 1.61 (95% CI = 0.70–3.68) for 1992. Conclusion In most of the analyses, lower tooth count was not associated with dementia, although a significant association was found for one of the three examinations. Further research may benefit from more‐direct measures of dental and periodontal disease.