Tooth loss, chewing efficiency and cognitive impairment in geriatric patients.

BACKGROUND: Patients with dementia have poorer oral health and fewer teeth than their peers without cognitive impairment. OBJECTIVE: The hypothesis of this study is that the number of natural teeth and the chewing efficiency are associated with cognitive functioning. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 29 patients diagnosed with dementia aged 75 years or older and 22 controls who were either cognitively normal (n = 19) or with mild cognitive impairment (n = 3). Neuropsychological, nutritional and dental assessments were performed. The chewing efficiency was evaluated with a two-colour mixing test. RESULTS: Demented patients and controls presented with a mean of 4.9 and 6.5 teeth, respectively (n.s.). The number of natural teeth was not associated with dementia (p = 0.553). Same results were found for age (p = 0.746) and sex (p = 0.901). The chewing efficiency by visual inspection proved worse in participants with dementia than in the controls (p < 0.011) and explained 9.3% of the variance in the diagnosis of dementia. Neither dental state nor chewing efficiency was related to the nutritional state. CONCLUSION: Chewing efficiency seems stronger associated with cognitive impairment than the number of teeth. Hence, in a more holistic approach for the geriatric assessment, the dental examination may be complemented by a chewing efficiency test.