Oral Function, Frailty and Mortality in Older Adults: Evidence from the Chilean National Health Survey 2016-2017

Oral health is an often-overlooked component of healthy ageing, as a sign of cumulative functional decline. This study explored the association between oral functional status and all-cause mortality.

This was a secondary analysis of the 2016-2017 Chilean National Health Survey linked to mortality records through December 31, 2022. In total, 223 participants aged ≥ 60 years were included (N = 1,016,557). Minimum dentition (MD) was defined as ≥10 teeth, prosthesis use was self-reported, and frailty was assessed using a modified Fried phenotype. Survey-weighted Cox models estimated associations with all-cause mortality, adjusting for age, sex, area, education, frailty, diabetes, and hypertension.

In the survey-weighted Cox model, each category representing MD and/or prosthesis use was associated with lower mortality hazards compared with the reference group (<10 teeth and no prostheses): prostheses only (HR 0.17, 95% CI 0.05-0.61), MD only (HR 0.16, 95% CI 0.04-0.74), and MD with prostheses (HR 0.08, 95% CI 0.01-0.46). Increasing age and rural residence were associated with higher mortality hazards, whereas estimates for sex, education, frailty, diabetes and hypertension were imprecise and generally compatible with no clear association.

These findings are hypothesis-generating and support further evaluation of oral functional status as a marker of broader health vulnerability in aged Chileans.