Factors correlated to oral frailty and number of remaining teeth among 80-year-old population in Japan

• Published in: BMC geriatrics 2024-11, Vol.24 (1), p.979-9
• Main Authors: Tamaki, Naofumi, Hiroshimaya, Takatoshi, Fukuhara, Kazuto, Ijichi, Hiroshi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Analysis; Body weight; Care and treatment; Clinics; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dementia; Dental care; Dental insurance; Dental plaque; Diagnosis; Family dental clinic; Female; Frail Elderly; Frailty; Frailty - diagnosis; Frailty - epidemiology; Health aspects; Health behavior; Health Behavior - physiology; Humans; Independent Living - trends; Interdental cleaning; Japan - epidemiology; Male; Off odor; Older people; Oral frailty; Oral Health; Oral health behavior; Oral hygiene; Osteoporosis; Periodontal disease; Polypharmacy; Population decline; Psychological aspects; Questionnaires; Regression analysis; Remaining teeth; Residential area; Risk Factors; Sarcopenia; Smoking; Social aspects; Teeth; Tongue; Tooth Loss - epidemiology; Utilization
• ISSN: 1471-2318; 1471-2318
• DOI: 10.1186/s12877-024-05568-z

Oral frailty is proposed as a new concept defined as an age-related gradual loss of oral functions accompanied by a decline in cognitive and physical functions in older adults. Additionally, the participants with ≥ 20 remaining teeth are associated with a lower risk of cognitive frailty in older adults. Herein, we aimed to examine the correlations between the high risk of oral frailty and oral conditions or health behavior in community-dwelling 80-year-old adults in Japan. Additionally, our secondary aim was to investigate the factors associated with ≥ 20 remaining teeth. The present investigation was designed as a cross-sectional study using data from an adult dental health field study. This study included participants only aged 80 years in Japan. Oral frailty was evaluated using the Oral Frailty Index-8, and ≥ 4 points were defined as high risk. Oral examination was performed, and data on oral health behavior and frailty were also collected by using a self-administered questionnaire. The logistic regression analysis was conducted, with the objective variable being the risk of oral frailty groups or remaining teeth. Overall,  3,222 participants ( 1,911 female and  1,311 men) were included. Among the participants,  1,217 (37.8%) had a high risk of oral frailty. The risk of oral frailty was significantly affected by smoking status, number of remaining teeth, dental plaque, oral malodor, family dental clinic, oral concerns, osteoporosis, and shrinking body weight. Logistic regression analysis revealed that a high risk of oral frailty was significantly associated with