Cognitive impairment, oral self-care function and dental caries severity in community-dwelling older adults

Xi Chen; Jennifer J Clark; Hong Chen; Supawadee Naorungroj

doi:10.1111/ger.12061

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Cognitive impairment, oral self-care function and dental caries severity in community-dwelling older adults

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Cognitive impairment, oral self-care function and dental caries severity in community-dwelling older adults

Xi Chen, Jennifer J Clark, Hong Chen and Supawadee Naorungroj

Gerodontology, Vol.32(1), pp.53-61

03/2015

DOI: 10.1111/ger.12061

PMCID: PMC3894256

PMID: 23758583

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/3894256View

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Abstract

Objective To investigate whether oral self-care function mediates the associations between cognitive impairment and caries severity in community-dwelling older adults. Background Cognitive impairment affects activities of daily living and compromises oral health, systemic health and quality of life in older adults. However, the associations among cognitive impairment, oral self-care capacity and caries severity remain unclear. This increases difficulty in developing effective interventions for cognitively impaired patients. Materials and methods Medical, dental, cognitive and functional assessments were abstracted from the dental records of 600 community-dwelling elderly. 230 participants were selected using propensity score matching and categorised into normal, cognitive impairment but no dementia (CIND) and dementia groups based on their cognitive status and a diagnosis of dementia. Multivariable regressions were developed to examine the mediating effect of oral self-care function on the association between cognitive status and number of caries or retained roots. Results Cognitive impairment, oral self-care function and dental caries severity were intercorrelated. Multivariable analysis showed that without adjusting for oral self-care capacity, cognition was significantly associated with the number of caries or retained roots (p = 0.003). However, the association was not significant when oral self-care capacity was adjusted (p = 0.125). In contrast, individuals with impaired oral self-care capacity had a greater risk of having a caries or retained root (RR = 1.67, 95% CI 1.15, 2.44). Conclusion Oral care capacity mediates the association between cognition and dental caries severity in community-dwelling older adults.

Dental Caries

older adults

community dwelling

cognitive impairment

oral self-care function

Details

Title: Subtitle: Cognitive impairment, oral self-care function and dental caries severity in community-dwelling older adults
Creators: Xi Chen - Department of Dental Ecology, School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina, NC, Chapel Hill, USA
Jennifer J Clark - Department of Biostatistics, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, NC, Chapel Hill, USA
Hong Chen - Department of Endodontics, School of Dentistry, University of North Carolina, NC, Chapel Hill, USA
Supawadee Naorungroj - Department of Epidemiology, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, NC, Chapel Hill, USA
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Gerodontology, Vol.32(1), pp.53-61
DOI: 10.1111/ger.12061
PMID: 23758583
PMCID: PMC3894256
NLM abbreviation: Gerodontology
ISSN: 0734-0664
eISSN: 1741-2358
Publisher: Blackwell Publishing Ltd
Number of pages: 9
Language: English
Date published: 03/2015
Academic Unit: Preventive and Community Dentistry; Internal Medicine
Record Identifier: 9984107264202771

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