Functional Occlusal Support, Denture-Related Status and Hip Fracture Risk in Older Adults: A Large Claims-Based...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Dental Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Reduced functional occlusal support is a common issue in older adults.
• Hip fracture is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly population.
• The relationship between oral health and systemic health outcomes is increasingly recognized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between reduced functional occlusal support and incident hip fracture in older adults.
• To determine if denture-related status modifies this association.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study utilizing a Japanese administrative claims database.
• Inclusion of adults aged 65 years and older with baseline tooth-chart data and no prior hip fracture.
• Functional occlusal support assessed using the Eichner classification; hip fracture identified via medical claims.
• Cox proportional hazards models employed with adjustments for covariates and additional time-based analyses.

Main Results:

• Lower functional occlusal support was significantly associated with an increased risk of hip fracture.
• Hazard ratios for hip fracture were 1.21 (Eichner class B) and 1.44 (Eichner class C) compared to class A.
• A significant interaction between occlusal support (Eichner class) and denture status was observed.
• Findings were consistent across different analytical approaches, including time-interval and landmark analyses.

Conclusions:

• Reduced functional occlusal support independently predicts a higher risk of hip fracture in older adults.
• Prosthodontic status and functional oral health appear to have clinical implications beyond oral health.
• While observational, the study suggests potential targets for fall and fracture prevention strategies.