Losing teeth is common as people grow older, but new research shows that it might also be a warning sign of serious health risks.
A group of researchers in China studied more than 8,000 older adults and found that people who lost their teeth more quickly had a higher risk of dying—no matter how many teeth they had to begin with.
The scientists say that how fast a person loses teeth is not just about dental care. It could also show a bigger decline in overall health.
In other words, if someone’s teeth are falling out faster than usual, their body might be aging or getting weaker more quickly too.
Luckily, there are things people can do to slow down tooth loss. Good habits like brushing teeth regularly, not smoking, and going to the dentist for checkups can help keep teeth healthy longer. These habits might also help people live longer.
Other studies have shown that good oral care is linked to lower death rates in older adults with missing teeth.
That’s why the researchers say oral health should be a bigger focus in public health programs. It’s an easy and low-cost way to support better overall health.
Tooth loss is not just a local problem. Around the world, many people suffer from oral diseases. A 2022 report from the World Health Organization said that nearly half the world’s population—about 3.5 billion people—have some form of dental disease. One of the most common problems is tooth loss, especially in older adults.
Tooth loss can lower a person’s quality of life. It makes it harder to chew food, enjoy meals, and even speak clearly. But the new study shows it could also be linked to higher chances of dying from serious diseases like heart problems, lung cancer, and pneumonia.
Most earlier studies only looked at the number of teeth a person had at one time. But this study is the first to focus on how quickly people lose their teeth over a few years, which gives a better picture of how oral health changes over time.
The study followed 8,073 older adults aged between 73 and 91 over 3.5 years. The researchers tracked how many teeth each person lost every year. They then grouped people into four categories: stable (no teeth lost), slow loss (less than 2 teeth lost per year), moderate loss (2 to under 4 teeth lost), and rapid loss (4 or more teeth lost per year).
Using a type of analysis called Cox regression, the researchers found that people in the rapid tooth loss group were 33% more likely to die than those who didn’t lose any teeth. Also, for each tooth lost per year, the risk of dying went up by 4%.
The study didn’t prove that losing teeth directly causes death. But it does show a strong link that should not be ignored. The researchers suggest more studies are needed to understand how tooth loss affects the body and how to prevent its harmful effects.
For now, they recommend raising awareness among doctors, caregivers, and the public to take tooth loss seriously and encourage better oral care.
The study is published in BMC Geriatrics.
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