Low Tongue Strength and the Number of Teeth Present Are Associated with Cognitive Decline in Older Japanese Dental Outpatients: A Cross-Sectional Study

Rui Egashira, Shinsuke Mizutani, Masahiro Yamaguchi, Tomotaka Kato, Yojiro Umezaki, Saori Oku, Keiko Tamai, Toyoshi Obata and Toru Naito
Additional contact information
Rui Egashira: Section of Geriatric Dentistry, Department of General Dentistry, Fukuoka Dental College, Fukuoka 814-0193, Japan
Shinsuke Mizutani: OBT Research Center, Faculty of Dental Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
Masahiro Yamaguchi: Section of Geriatric Dentistry, Department of General Dentistry, Fukuoka Dental College, Fukuoka 814-0193, Japan
Tomotaka Kato: Department of Oral Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
Yojiro Umezaki: Section of Geriatric Dentistry, Department of General Dentistry, Fukuoka Dental College, Fukuoka 814-0193, Japan
Saori Oku: Section of Geriatric Dentistry and Perioperative Medicine in Dentistry, Division of Maxillofacial Diagnostic and Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Dental Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
Keiko Tamai: Section of Geriatric Dentistry, Department of General Dentistry, Fukuoka Dental College, Fukuoka 814-0193, Japan
Toyoshi Obata: Obata Medical Clinic, Fukuoka 814-0175 Japan
Toru Naito: Section of Geriatric Dentistry, Department of General Dentistry, Fukuoka Dental College, Fukuoka 814-0193, Japan

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 22, 1-12

Abstract: To mitigate the impact of dementia, initiating early intervention is important. This study aims to investigate the associations between deterioration in oral function and cognitive decline in older outpatients whose oral health was maintained in the dental clinic. This study included 50 outpatients aged ≥65 years. We used the Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-J) to assess cognitive decline. Oral function was evaluated by tongue pressure, masticatory performance, and swallowing ability. A full-mouth periodontal examination was conducted, and the occlusal support and number of teeth were recorded. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for cognitive decline (MoCA-J score ≤25 points) were calculated using logistic regression models. The age, number of teeth, tongue pressure, and masticatory performance were significantly correlated with cognitive decline ( p < 0.05). Logistic regression analyses revealed that cognitive decline was independently associated with age (OR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.03–1.52; p = 0.024), number of teeth (OR = 0.83; 95% CI: 0.76–1.00; p = 0.047), and lower tongue pressure (OR: 0.87; 95% CI: 0.77–0.98; p = 0.022). Lower tongue pressure and a small number of remaining teeth may be associated with cognitive decline in Japanese outpatients.

Keywords: cross-sectional study; elderly; oral function; cognitive function; geriatric dentistry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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