Losing teeth may lead to weight gain, researchers report
The loss of teeth affects a person's chewing ability, which can limit their healthy food choices.
Weight gain is significantly associated with having fewer teeth or losing the bone and gums that support teeth, researchers have reported in the Journal of Periodontology.
The loss of teeth affects a person’s chewing ability, which can limit their healthy food choices, the researchers said.
“These findings add to the growing body of evidence that periodontal health plays an important role in overall health, especially as we age,” said Dr. Ana Becil Giglio, president of the American Academy of Periodontology.
“Maintaining healthy teeth and gums supports better nutrition, good habits and improved quality of life later in life,” added Giglio, a New York City periodontist who was not involved in the study.
For the study, researchers followed more than 900 people participating in a long-range health research project based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Memphis, Tennessee. When they entered the project, participants underwent an oral health examination that noted lost teeth and gum disease.
During four years of follow-up, nearly 12% of the participants gained at least 5% of their body weight, researchers found.
Those with fewer teeth and poorer oral health were more likely to experience weight gain, the study found.
Tooth loss can cause people to shun healthy fiber-rich foods like fruits and vegetables in favour of softer foods that contain more calories, researchers said.
“Loss of functional tooth units, especially molars, were associated with higher odds of weight gain among older adults over four years,” concluded the research team led by Natália Pola, a professor at the Federal University of Pelotas in Brazil.
It noted that more research is needed to better understand the link between missing teeth and weight gain.