Dental Health Linked to Lower Mortality Risk in Japanese Seniors

Researchers at Osaka University examined dental records of 190,282 Japanese residents aged 75 and older, tracking them for an average of 3.4 years. The study found that individuals with a higher number of healthy or properly restored teeth had a significantly lower risk of death from any cause. Seniors lacking any healthy or filled teeth faced a 74% higher mortality risk for men and a 69% increase for women after adjusting for age, body mass, smoking, existing illnesses, and medication use.

While the association does not prove that poor oral health directly shortens life, the findings suggest that dental condition may reflect broader health issues and that maintaining oral health could be an important component of overall well‑being in older adults.