Association between oral health and falls among community-dwelling older adults

Falls threaten the physical and mental health of older persons. Studies of the relationship between oral health and falls were fragmented in their selection of oral health indicators. We aimed to analyze whether and to what extent self-reported oral health was associated with falls among community-dwelling older adults in China. A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from physical examination and questionnaire survey for older adults in Tianjin, China. 2150 community-dwelling individuals aged 60 and older were included. Self-reported history of falls during the past year and oral health were collected using questionnaires. In the oral health index, fewer missing teeth, wearing dentures, no toothache, no bleeding gums, and brushing teeth at least twice a day were assigned as a score of 1, respectively. Oral health index was calculated by summing the scores of each item and ranged from 0 to 5, with higher scores indicating better oral health status. Logistic regression controlled for potential confounders was employed to analyze the association between oral health and falls. The prevalence of fall within the previous year was 12.6%. Logistic regression model showed that participants with higher oral health index (≥ 4) had a 26% lower fall rate than those with lower scores (OR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.52 to 0.97) after adjusting for age, sex, health status and behaviors, and muscle status. Specifically, older adults who had lost 3–5 teeth (OR = 1.72; 95% CI: 1.01 to 2.69) and gingival bleeding (OR = 1.95; 95% CI: 1.20 to 3.17) had a higher fall prevalence rate compared with those losing 2 or fewer teeth and no gingival bleeding, respectively. Older adults with worse oral health, particularly more missing teeth and gingival bleeding, might be more vulnerable to falls. More attention paid to oral health may be helpful for fall prevention.