Complete Loss of Natural Teeth and Loneliness: A Fixed-Effect Analysis.

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Oral Health
• Social Sciences

Background:

• Psychosocial aspects of oral health are increasingly recognized.
• Complete tooth loss is a significant oral health issue affecting older adults.
• Loneliness is a growing concern in aging populations, impacting overall well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the causal relationship between complete loss of natural teeth and loneliness.
• To control for confounding factors, including unmeasured time-invariant variables, using fixed-effects analysis.
• To provide evidence on the impact of oral health on mental and social well-being in older adults.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of longitudinal data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) across three waves (2006/2007–2014/2015).
• Inclusion of 7,298 individuals with 18,682 observations.
• Fixed-effect linear regression models were employed to assess the association between complete tooth loss and loneliness scores, adjusting for time-varying confounders.

Main Results:

• Complete tooth loss was prevalent in 10.6%–12.8% of the older adult sample across study waves.
• Individuals transitioning to complete tooth loss showed a significant increase in loneliness scores (0.27 points).
• Fixed-effects analysis confirmed a robust association, with complete tooth loss linked to a 0.31-point increase in loneliness, independent of confounders.

Conclusions:

• Complete loss of natural teeth is causally associated with increased loneliness in older adults in England.
• The findings highlight the importance of oral health for social and emotional well-being in aging.
• Preserving natural teeth may be a protective factor against loneliness in later life.