An umbrella review on the association between factors of oral health and cognitive dysfunction.
Level 1 - systematic review of randomized trials
Umbrella review synthesizing 28 systematic reviews and meta-analyses
PubMed 38007045 · doi:10.1016/j.arr.2023.102128
What was done
An umbrella review synthesizing 28 systematic reviews (including 12 meta-analyses) to evaluate which specific oral health factors and cognitive outcomes are associated across the published literature.
What was found
No quantitative effect estimates or summary numbers were reported in the abstract. Periodontal diseases, the oral microbiome, and dementia were the most frequently investigated factors, while mastication and mild cognitive impairment were less commonly studied. Severe oral health deterioration, specifically severe periodontitis or extensive tooth loss, showed a strong association with cognitive dysfunction, whereas the presence of oral diseases alone did not.
Why it matters
It clarifies that cognitive decline is specifically linked to severe, advanced oral deterioration rather than mild disease, helping direct clinical attention toward high-risk dental states.
Limits
The abstract reports no numerical risk metrics, effect sizes, or underlying participant sample sizes. The findings inherently rely on the quality and heterogeneity of the included systematic reviews, which largely summarize observational studies subject to confounding and reverse causality.
Cited by
- supports Oral health is significantly linked to cognitive function.