@article {10164, title = {Factors associated with becoming edentulous in the US Health and Retirement Study.}, journal = {Journal of the American Geriatrics Society}, year = {2019}, abstract = {

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: To determine factors associated with older adults becoming edentulous (complete tooth loss).

DESIGN: Longitudinal study over a 6-year period.

SETTING: United States, 2006, 2012.

PARTICIPANTS: Nationally representative US sample of adults, aged 50 years and older (n = 9982), participating in the Health and Retirement Study in 2006 and 2012. At the outset, they were dentate and not institutionalized.

INTERVENTION: None.

MEASUREMENTS: Self-report of being dentate or edentulous, demographic variables, dental utilization and other health behaviors, self-rated general health, and incidence between 2006 and 2012 of comorbid medical conditions, functional limitations, and disabilities.

RESULTS: From 2006 to 2012, 563 individuals (5\%) became edentulous and 9419 (95\%) remained dentate. Adults who became edentulous by 2012 were more likely than those who remained dentate to be black/African American compared to white, to be less educated, were current smokers, had diabetes, and reported poorer self-rated general health, more functional limitations and disabilities, and fewer dental visits (all P < .0001), among other factors. Of those with regular dental visits (at least once every 2 years during the 6-year period), 2.3\% became edentulous compared to 9.9\% among those without regular dental visits. After adjusting for age and other potential confounders, there was a strong association with poor dental attendance and smoking. Nonregular dental attenders were more likely than regular attenders to become edentulous (odds ratio [OR] = 2.74; 95\% confidence interval [CI] = 2.12-3.53), and current smokers were more likely than never smokers to become edentulous (OR = 2.46; 95\% CI = 1.74-3.46).

CONCLUSION: Although more contemporaneous data are needed to determine causality, regular dental utilization and smoking are modifiable factors that could prevent edentulism, even when many other comorbid conditions are present. J Am Geriatr Soc, 1-7, 2019.

}, keywords = {Dental Care, Risk Factors, Smoking}, issn = {1532-5415}, doi = {10.1111/jgs.16079}, author = {Jane A Weintraub and Orleans, Brian and Mark Alan Fontana and Phillips, Ceib and Judith A Jones} }