Association of Periodontal Disease with Dementia in Older Adults from Lima, Peru

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to determine the association between periodontal disease and dementia in older adults in Lima Centro. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted in 112 institutionalized older adults, who were clinically evaluated using the Periodontal Screening and Recording (PSR) system. Bivariate analyses were performed using the chi-square test, Mann–Whitney U test, and Student’s t-test. Logistic regression was used to estimate the crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results: The results showed that 49.11% of the participants scored a code 3 in the PSR system, indicating periodontal pockets of 3 to 5 mm, bleeding, and bacterial plaque, while 79.46% exhibited the presence of bacterial plaque. Likewise, older adults with dementia were observed to have clinical plaque upon probing, whereas 40.35% of older adults without a dementia diagnosis did not have plaque; this association was statistically significant. In the multivariate analysis, an association between periodontal disease and dementia was observed in the crude analysis (OR = 4.43; 95% CI: 2.20–8.93; p = 0.000) and the adjusted analysis (OR = 4.69; 95% CI: 2.32–9.48; p = 0.000). Conclusions: In conclusion, a significant relationship was identified between periodontal disease (assessed using the PSR system), the presence of bacterial plaque, and gingival bleeding with dementia in the evaluated older adults. This finding highlights the importance of periodontal health not only for oral wellbeing but also as a potentially modifiable risk factor for dementia prevention. Integrating oral health interventions into broader geriatric care may contribute to delaying or reducing the risk of neurodegenerative diseases, underscoring the need for interdisciplinary approaches in public health strategies.