Over-50s with fewer teeth ‘more likely to be physically frail’

Older people who lose their teeth are more likely to experience signs of physical frailty, according to new research.

A team from King's College London assessed the health of 9,338 Americans aged 50 years and older, looking at the number of teeth they had and their usage of dentures, before comparing these findings to musculoskeletal frailty trends.

It was found that those with more than 20 teeth were significantly less likely to be frail than those with less than 20 teeth who did not use dentures, with the former group also consuming a greater amount of nutrients.

The researchers suspect that the lack of nutrients among denture wearers could be attributed to their inability to eat specific foods, due to their bite force being much weaker than those with natural teeth.

Research leader Dr Wael Sabbah, from King's College London Dental Institute, said: "To date, the majority of efforts to improve frailty have focused on nutrition strategies, including health education, while the influence of teeth on dietary restraint of the elderly has been neglected."

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