Tooth loss is a risk factor for dementia. This study aimed to compare the occlusal imbalances in cognitively impaired elderly patients to those with normal cognitive function.
Twenty-five cognitively impaired patients and 17 control subjects with normal cognition (aged ≥ 65 years; 78.12 ± 7.56) were included in this study. These two groups were categorized into two subgroups by their use of removable partial dentures. The Mini-Mental State Examination was used to evaluate cognitive function, medical and dental examinations were conducted, and digital analysis of occlusion was performed.
All control subjects had ≥ 24 teeth and 22 cognitively impaired subjects had ≤ 20 teeth. The correlation between the number of teeth and cognitive function revealed significant differences between the two groups (P < 0.05). The occlusal imbalances exhibited significant differences in correlation with cognitive function (P < 0.05).
A correlation was observed between tooth loss and occlusal imbalances with cognitive function.