Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 28, 2025

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Cognitive impairment and edentulism among older adults: an observational study using claims data
Sung Eun Choi1, Emily Mo2, Nathan Palmer3
1Department of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, 188 Longwood Avenue REB 204, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. sung_choi@hsdm.harvard.edu.
Background:
The scientific link between mastication strength and cognitive function has not yet been strongly corroborated in population studies. Utilizing large-scale claims, we aim to investigate the association between edentulism and cognitive impairment in older American adults.
Methods:
Using de-identified claims from a commercial insurer from 2015-2019, we conducted a retrospective cohort study using multilevel regression models to evaluate the association between denture status and clinically diagnosed cognitive impairment. Secondary analysis included symptomatic cognitive impairment in the outcome.
Results:
Adjusting for individual-level risk factors, denture status was significantly associated with clinical cognitive impairment with odds ratios of 1.13 (95%CI: 1.02-1.25) and 1.26, (95%CI: 1.09-1.45) for complete dentures on one or both jaws, respectively. Including symptomatic cognitive impairment in the analysis did not substantially change our fundamental findings.
Conclusion:
Prevention and treatment of oral diseases should be considered a key component in preserving the overall wellness of older adults.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Cognitive Development During Adulthood
Teeth
In the bud stage, the tooth germ (an aggregation of cells) starts to form in the developing jawbone. During the cap stage, the tooth germ differentiates into enamel organ, dental papilla, and dental sac, which will later develop into the tooth's enamel, dentin...
The Effect of Aging on Tissues
The Availability Heuristic
Bone Disorders
Bone deposition is also affected by the levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone that promote osteoblast activity and bone matrix synthesis. When the level of these hormones decreases due to aging, it causes a reduction in bone deposition. As a result, bone resorption by osteoclasts...
Dementia
The progression of dementia is generally gradual....

