Wearing dentures while sleeping can double the risk of pneumonia in elderly, scientists have found.
In a study published in the International and American Associations for Dental Research, scientists investigated associations between a constellation of oral health behaviours and incidences of pneumonia in elderly aged 85 years or older.
At baseline, 524 randomly selected seniors (228 males, 296 females) were examined for oral health status and oral hygiene behaviours as well as medical assessment, including blood chemistry analysis, and followed up annually until first hospitalisation for or death from pneumonia.
Over a three-year follow-up period, 48 events associated with pneumonia were identified (20 deaths and 28 acute hospitalisations).
Among 453 denture wearers, 186 (40.8 per cent) who wore their dentures during sleep, were at higher risk for pneumonia than those who removed their dentures at night.
Researchers found that both perceived swallowing difficulties and overnight denture wearing were independently associated with approximately 2.3-fold higher risk of the incidence of pneumonia, which was comparable with the high risk attributable to cognitive impairment, history of stroke and respiratory disease.
In addition, those who wore dentures while sleeping were more likely to have tongue and denture plaque and gum inflammation.
"This study provides empirical evidence that denture wearing during sleep is associated not only with oral inflammatory and microbial burden but also with incident pneumonia, suggesting potential implications of oral hygiene programmes for pneumonia prevention in the community," researchers said.
