A team led by researchers from Sichuan University in China studied tooth loss in 8,073 elderly individuals, tracking their rate of tooth loss compared to mortality over an average of 3.5 years. The researchers wrote in their published paper: “Among the elderly, the risk of death from all causes increased significantly with the rapid progression of tooth loss, regardless of the initial number of teeth.” The researchers did not suggest that rapid tooth loss directly causes death, but rather that the health issues leading to tooth loss may also shorten lifespan. Therefore, tooth loss can be used as an indicator to assess general health and mortality risk.
The researchers pointed to inflammation, diet, obesity, and psychological distress as some factors that may influence rates of tooth loss and disease, as reported by the magazine “”. Although these explanations suggest a link between tooth loss and other known mortality risk factors, the exact mechanisms remain unclear and require further research, the researchers wrote.
