What this means
Tooth loss is highly prevalent among older adults and may compromise food selection, diet quality, and adherence to proinflammatory dietary patterns, thereby contributing to chronic inflammation and adverse health outcomes. This study investigated the association between tooth retention and the inflammatory potential of the diet among older adults.
A plain-English summary is on its way. Until then, this is the start of the authors' own summary.
- Who it was tested in
- Not stated
- Kind of research
- A study
The science
- Original title
- Association between tooth retention and lower inflammatory dietary pattern in older adults.
- Authors
- Ortiz-Barrios LB, Garcia-delaTorre P, Rivera-Paredez B et al.
- Journal
- Frontiers in aging
- Published
- Oct 17, 2026
- Study type
- Study
- PMID
- 42890851 ↗
Abstract
Background
Tooth loss is highly prevalent among older adults and may compromise food selection, diet quality, and adherence to proinflammatory dietary patterns, thereby contributing to chronic inflammation and adverse health outcomes. This study investigated the association between tooth retention and the inflammatory potential of the diet among older adults.
What they did
A cross-sectional analysis was conducted among 1,075 adults aged 60 years or older. According to the oral examination, participants were categorized as having ≥21, 11-20, 1-10, or no natural teeth, and as edentulous. The Dietary Inflammatory Index was constructed using a food-frequency questionnaire.
What they found
Individuals with more teeth were younger, possessed higher educational attainment, were less likely to smoke, and exhibited elevated Mini-Mental State Examination scores. After adjustment for potential confounders, older adults with 1-10 natural teeth had significantly higher odds of belonging to a more pro-inflammatory dietary category than those with 21-28 teeth (OR = 2.19; 95% CI: 1.44-3.33; p-value <0.001). Our findings suggest that tooth retention is closely associated with the inflammatory potential of the diet in older adults and supports the integration of oral health into nutritional assessment and healthy aging strategies.
The authors' abstract, grouped under plain headings from its own section labels.
Ortiz-Barrios LB, Garcia-delaTorre P, Rivera-Paredez B et al. Association between tooth retention and lower inflammatory dietary pattern in older adults. Frontiers in aging. 2026. doi:10.3389/fragi.2026.1945744. PMID: 42890851. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42890851/