The Association between Periodontal Status and Frailty in Elderly Individuals

The number of older people in Indonesia is projected to continue rising. Periodontal disease and frailty are frequent among the elderly. Both are recognized to share some existing risk factors.

This study aimed to evaluate the association between periodontal status and frailty in elderly individuals.

This is a cross-sectional study of people aged 60 and older. Periodontal status assessed was plaque score, bleeding on probing (BOP) score, calculus index, number of teeth, and stage of periodontitis. The FRAIL scale, comprised of Fatigue, Resistance, Ambulation, Illness, and Loss of weight, was used to evaluate the frailty state.

There were 60 subjects in total, with 46.6% having frailty. There was a significant correlation between periodontal status and frailty in older people (p<0.05). There were significant differences in plaque scores between frail and normal subject groups (p=0.000), in the BOP between the frail and normal subject groups (p=0.003) and the pre-frail and frail subject groups (p=0.003), and in the number of teeth between the subject groups, frail to normal (p=0.011) and pre-frail subjects to frail (p=0.023).

The findings of this study suggest a link between periodontal status and frailty in the elderly; however, longitudinal research is needed to confirm this.