ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE USE OF COMPLETE DENTURES AND FRAILTY IN EDENTULOUS MEXICAN ELDERS

Abstract

Objectives:Edentulism and use of complete dentures (CD), which are common among elderly people,increase the risk for malnutrition and weight loss, components of frailty syndrome. Objectives:To identify if CDuse is associated with the presence of frailty in a group of edentulous people aged ≥70 years, residing in MexicoCity. Design:This was a cross-sectional analysis of baseline data of a cohort study. Setting and Participants:Thestudy population consisted of 33,347 people living independently in one district of Mexico City, 149 edentuloussubjects were interviewed and examined for this analysis. Measurements:Frail people experienced 3 or more ofthe following 5 components: unintentional weight loss, poor endurance and energy, low physical activity,slowness, and weakness. Dental variables were CD use, CD functionality, self-perception of oral health, use ofdental services the previous year, xerostomia, and chewing problems. Age, sex, education level, cognitiveimpairment, urinary incontinence, number of falls, hospitalization, and number of drugs consumed wereconsidered. Univariate analysis and a logistic regression model were used. Results:The prevalence of frailty was23.5%. The probability of being frail increased among participants with osteoporosis (OR = 3.2), urinaryincontinence (OR = 3.8), cognitive impairment (OR = 4.1), and non-use of CD (OR = 5.2); for each additionaldrug taken per day, the risk of frailty increased by 28.9%. Conclusions:The non-use of CD in edentulous olderpersons can be a risk marker for frailty, health evaluation of the elderly should include a dental assessment.