Life expectancy and tooth loss

The study shows that there was a clear evidence that tooth loss is closely related to ‘stress’ during a person’s lifetime. This includes a person’s specific social, emotional, economic and educational experiences as well as health issues such as chronic disease, genetic conditions, nutritional intake and lifestyle choices.

Evidence showed that people who had lost five or more teeth by the age of 65 were also more likely to suffer from other serious health issues such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoporosis which could severely limit a person’s life expectancy. Many of these illnesses have been previously linked to as person’s quality of life and their socio-economic status.

With such a close relationship between our oral health and quality of life, leading health charity, the Oral Health Foundation, is encouraging people to ensure they pay close attention to the health of their mouth and visit their dental team regularly to check for any signs of disease which could lead to tooth loss.