Oral Health and Mortality Risk in Aging Populations

As populations age globally, the maintenance of oral health has emerged as a significant determinant of longevity and quality of life. Oral pathologies, particularly periodontal disease and tooth loss, contribute to systemic inflammatory burden and impair nutritional intake through reduced masticatory function. These factors interplay with cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic systems, manifesting in elevated risks of all-cause and cause-specific mortality. Epidemiological evidence indicates that poor oral hygiene, high plaque accumulation and declining dentition not only reflect socio-economic disparities but also exacerbate chronic disease progression. Interventions targeting periodontal inflammation and rehabilitation of chewing ability have demonstrated potential to attenuate systemic risks, underscoring the importance of integrated oral-systemic healthcare strategies for older adults.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Large-scale analyses of ageing cohorts have quantified the links between oral indicators and mortality. A global cohort study assessed dental plaque, gingival inflammation, missing teeth and reduced functional masticatory units, revealing a graded increase in all-cause and non-cancer mortality with cumulative oral disease burden and demonstrating that three or more concurrent oral conditions more than tripled the risk of death. Another investigation compared older adults in the UK and the USA, showing that tooth loss, periodontal pockets and dry mouth independently predicted higher rates of all-cause mortality, while periodontal disease specifically elevated cardiovascular mortality and the accumulation of oral problems portended worse respiratory survival. These findings reinforce the concept that preserving dentition and controlling oral inflammation can yield tangible survival benefits in later life.

Oral Health and Mortality Risk in Aging Populations publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in oral health and mortality risk in aging populations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Periodontitis: Chronic inflammation of the tooth-supporting tissues leading to pocket formation and bone loss.

Systemic inflammation: Persistent, low-grade immune activation measurable by circulating biomarkers such as C-reactive protein.

Hazard ratio: A measure comparing the event rate over time between two study groups.

Cox proportional hazards model: A statistical method for analysing the influence of variables on time-to-event outcomes.

Functional masticatory unit: A pair of opposing teeth required for effective chewing performance.

Edentulous: The condition of having no natural teeth remaining.

References

1. Periodontitis and systemic inflammation as independent and interacting risk factors for mortality: evidence from a prospective cohort study. BMC Medicine (2023).
2. All‐cause and cause‐specific mortality in US adults with periodontal diseases: A prospective cohort study. Journal Of Clinical Periodontology (2024).
3. Tooth loss and risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke: A dose-response meta analysis of prospective cohort studies. PLOS ONE (2018).
4. Oral health and all-cause, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory mortality in older people in the UK and USA. Scientific Reports (2021).