Effects of the shortened dental arch on oral function in older adults: A prospective cohort study

• Published in: Heliyon 2024-12, Vol.10 (24), p.e40897, Article e40897
• Main Authors: Yoshimoto, Tasuku, Hasegawa, Yoko, Mya Khaing, Aye Mya, Sta Maria, Ma Therese, Hattori, Hirokazu, Kishimoto, Hiromitsu, Shinmura, Ken, Ono, Takahiro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Occlusion; Oral function; Prosthetic restoration; Shortened dental arch; Tooth loss
• ISSN: 2405-8440; 2405-8440
• DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e40897

Previous longitudinal studies have found that patients with shortened dental arches (SDA) have a higher risk of long-term tooth loss than complete dental arch (CDA). However, the difference between SDA and CDA concerning oral function has yet to be demonstrated. We aimed to clarify the influence of molar occlusal support on oral function in SDA and CDA participants cross-sectionally and longitudinally. We enrolled independent older adults (≥65 years) living in rural areas of Japan. Of these, 257 had CDA, and 21 had SDA without removable prostheses. We assessed the oral function (number of functional teeth, masticatory performance using gummy jelly, occlusal force, oral cleanliness, oral dryness, and maximum tongue pressure) during baseline and two years after baseline (follow-up). Comparison of oral function between SDA and CDA and changes over time were examined using repeated measures analysis of variance and post-hoc test. Cross-sectional analysis showed that both masticatory performance and occlusal force were significantly lower in SDA than in CDA. The functional teeth tended to decrease over time more in SDA than in CDA (p