Summary
This cross-sectional study of 1,202 community-dwelling older adults in the Netherlands explored bidirectional associations between oral health and frailty. Dental emergencies, self-reported oral problems, and dietary modifications due to poor oral health were independently associated with increased frailty risk, with stronger associations observed for survey-based frailty measures. The findings suggest oral health may be an overlooked marker or contributor to frailty trajectories in older populations.
UK applicability
The findings are likely applicable to UK primary care settings, where oral health screening in older adults remains inconsistent. Integration of oral health assessment into frailty screening pathways in UK general practice could identify at-risk patients, though UK population characteristics and dental access patterns differ from the Netherlands.
Key measures
Dental emergency visits, dental status, dental care utilisation, self-reported oral problems, dietary adaptations due to oral health; frailty measured by EMR data and Groningen Frailty Indicator (GFI); odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals
Outcomes reported
The study measured associations between oral health indicators (dental emergency visits, self-reported oral problems, dietary adaptations) and two measures of frailty (EMR-based risk assessment and the Groningen Frailty Indicator) in community-dwelling older people.
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