Risk of Losing Teeth is Six Times Higher with Poor Back Teeth Occlusion

Tomoaki MAMENO, Kazunori IKEBE
Dept. of Removable Prosthodontics and Gerodontology, Graduate School of Dentistry

Ryohei YAMAMOTO
Health and Counseling Center

The research group at Osaka University has revealed that the worse the occlusion of the molars (back teeth) in 94,422 older adults in Osaka Prefecture, the higher the risk of tooth loss.Previously, it has been believed that the occlusion of the molars affects the burden on the remaining teeth and is related to the risk of tooth loss. However, there hasn’t been detailed research on this relationship conducted on a large scale.

In this study, they collaborated with the Wider-Area Union of the Medical Care System for Elderly People and the Osaka Dental Association. They analyzed data from 94,422 participants who participated in multiple dental check-ups provided as part of the public healthcare services in Osaka, Japan, from 2018 to 2022. The average observation period was 2.2 years. Through this analysis, they have found a strong link between the condition of how back teeth fit together and the risk of losing teeth. Thus, it became evident that molars are not only important for eating but also for preserving the remaining teeth. Preventing tooth loss and maintaining one’s own teeth are known to be important for the quality of meals and nutritional balance. It is expected that there will be increased discussion about the importance of molars for maintaining oral and overall health in the future.

This article, “Association between posterior occlusal support and tooth loss in a population-based cohort: The OHSAKA study” was published in Journal of Dentistry at DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jdent.2024.105144