OSNC13: The Relationship between Sarcopenia and Occlusion in Community-Dwelling Elderly People.

Purpose: To investigate whether the development of sarcopenia decreases number of remaining teeth and/or occlusal force. Materials and Methods: Subjects were 227 community-dwelling elderly people (aged 65 and older). We assessed number of remaining teeth, occlusal force and sarcopenia probability. Occlusal force was measured with Occlusal Force-Meter GM10 if the subject wore removable dentures. Probability of sarcopenia was determined using a validated method that includes three variables: age, grip strength and lower leg circumference. Subjects were divided into four groups by sarcopenia probability: section 1: ≦25%, section 2: 26-50%, section 3: 51-75%, section 4: 76%≦. All data were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: The four groups’ average numbers of remaining teeth were 18 (section 1), 13 (section 2), 10 (section 3) and 8 (section 4). The groups’ average occlusal force values were 299N (section 1), 210N (section 2), 148N (section 3), and 126N (section 4). This shows a significant difference between section 1 and section 4 (p<0.01) and between section 1 and section 3 (p=0.01) in both number of remaining teeth and occlusal force. Conclusion: Our results suggest that oral function affects sarcopenia. Elderly people with low numbers of remaining teeth and low occlusal force are more likely to have a high probability of sarcopenia. This is probably because maintenance of teeth and prosthodontic appliances are important for the prevention of sarcopenia.