Dental hygiene key to predicting mortality, Japanese researchers find

Poor oral health among older adults is closely linked to higher mortality rates and a higher risk of requiring long-term care, according to two separate large-scale studies by researchers at Osaka Metropolitan University and the Institute of Science Tokyo.

A research team led by Osaka Metropolitan University analyzed dental checkup data from 190,282 residents of Osaka Prefecture age 75 or older who underwent examinations from fiscal 2018 to 2020.

The study examined the relationship between dental condition and all-cause mortality (deaths linked to any cause), and found that death rates were lower among people with a higher number of healthy or treated teeth, while those with untreated cavities faced increased risks.