PhD student Hanzhang Xu and Wei Pan recently published an article entitled "Association Between Tooth Loss and Cognitive Decline: A 13-year Longitudinal Study of Chinese Older Adults" in the February issue of PLOS One. Other authors include experts Juan Li for Nursing School of Second Military Medical University in Shanghai, China and Bei Wu with New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing.

Abstract: The objective of this study is to examine the association between the number of teeth remaining and cognitive decline among Chinese older adults over a 13-year period. Cognitive function and teeth number were measured at each interview. Cognitive function was measured by the Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE). Number of natural teeth was self-reported. Individuals with severe cognitive impairment were excluded. Covariates included demographic characteristics, adult socioeconomic status characteristics, childhood socioeconomic status, health conditions, and health behaviors. Linear mixed models were applied in the analysis. This study showed that tooth loss was associated with cognitive decline among Chinese older adults. Further studies are needed to examine the linkages between cognitive decline and oral health status using clinical examination data.