Oral Health Factors Linked to Cognitive and Physical Function

There is a well-documented link between oral health and cognitive ability; however, evidence on oral health factors linked with cognitive and physical function decline remains limited. The aim is to determine the oral health factors linked to cognitive ability and physical function.

This cross-sectional study involved people 60 years old and above with a Charlson Comorbidity Index score of ≤ 1.2. A multistage sampling technique and a WHO-structured questionnaire were administered. Oral examination, short physical performance battery (SPPB), and mini-mental state examination (MMSE) were done. sociodemographics, oral hygiene habits, perception of oral health, decayed, missing, and filling teeth (DMFT), and use of professional dental care data were analyzed using SPSS version 26 (t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation) with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.

An assessment of 426 participants was done, with an average age of 69.29 ± 7.73 years (minimum age is 60 years and maximum age is 95 years), and 68.5% were females. A significant association was found between higher socioeconomic status (p = 0.0001) and cognitive function. Younger age (p = 0.03) and toothbrush use (p = 0.04) were significantly associated with better physical function.

Toothbrush use appears to be associated with physical function. Sociodemographic factors such as age and socioeconomic status may be linked to physical and cognitive function.