Association of oral health with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in older Chinese adults: A 14-year follow-up of the Guangzhou Biobank Cohort study

Abstract

Background Poor oral hygiene is associated with overall wellness, but evidence regarding associations of oral health with all-cause mortality remain inconclusive. We aimed to examine the associations of oral health with all-cause and cause-specific mortality in middle-aged and older Chinese adults. Methods 28 006 participants were recruited from 2003–2008 and followed up until 2021. Oral health was assessed by face-to-face interview and causes of death was identified via record linkage. Cox regression yielded hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) with adjustment of multiple potential confounders. Results During an average of 14.3 years of follow-up, we found that a lower frequency of toothbrushing was associated with higher risks of all-cause mortality with a dose-response pattern (P for trend <0.001). Specially, the adjusted HR (95% CI) (vs. ≥ twice/d) was 1.16 (1.10, 1.22) (P < 0.001) for brushing once/ d and 1.27 (1.00, 1.61) (P = 0.048) for <0.05). The association of missing teeth with all-cause mortality was stronger in lower-educated participants. Conclusions Both less frequent toothbrushing and a greater number of missing teeth were associated with higher risks of all-cause, CVD, stroke, and respiratory disease mortality, showing dose-response patterns, but not with IHD and cancer mortality. Moreover, the dose-response association of missing teeth with all-cause mortality was stronger in lower-educated participants.