Poor dental health ‘increases risk of physical frailty in elderly men’

A new study has offered further evidence of the potential link between poor dental health and broader physical health problems among older men.

The University College London study examined information from 7,735 men taking part in information from the British Regional Heart Study, during which dental and physical health trends were assessed over time.

It was shown that men with dental issues – such as having no teeth, having trouble eating, having dry mouth symptoms or rating their oral health as fair to poor – were more likely to be frail than men without these issues.

Complete tooth loss, dry mouth and additional oral health concerns were shown to have an especially strong link to frailty, with these individuals being more vulnerable to injury and illness and less likely to lead fulfilling, independent lives.

This new research comes after a separate study from King's College London last month showed that older people of both genders who lose their teeth are more likely to experience signs of physical frailty.

It was suggested that a lack of nutrients among denture wearers could be the cause of this, as people with false teeth are often unable to eat specific foods due to their bite force being weaker.

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