Many studies have reported on the relationship between oral health and general health. This study was designed to determine whether an association exists between dental health and a decline in higher-level functional capacity.

Data were derived from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study (JAGES), involving community dwelling adults, 65 years of age or older, who were cognitively independent. A baseline survey was conducted between August of 2010 and January of 2012, with a follow-up conducted between January of 2013 and December of 2013. Subjects were asked about the status of their dental health, including the number of natural teeth that they currently possessed. Higher-level functional capacity was assessed using the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology Index of Competence (TMIG-IC), with covariates including health, and health behavior variables that might be related to the TMIG-IC.

Of the respondents, 62，333 were included in the final analysis, with a median follow-up of 707 days. In the adjusted analysis, a multiple linear regression model found a dose response association between tooth loss and decline in TMIG-IC scores.

This large, population-based, prospective cohort study indicates a dose response association between tooth loss and a decline in higher-level functional capacity over two years.