Influence of dental prostheses on cognitive functioning in elderly population: A systematic review

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the systematic review was to assess the influence of dental prostheses on cognitive functioning in elderly population. Materials and Methods: This systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. The initial electronic search was conducted using the following search databases: MEDLINE (PubMed), Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and EMBASE. The search was limited to English language using the search items/keywords: “dental prostheses and cognitive functioning,” “dental prostheses and brain function,” “Tooth loss and cognitive loss,” “mastication and prefrontal activity,” and “prostheses on mental state.” The search strategy was followed using the PICOS framework. Results: A total of 19 studies were selected according to the selection criteria. Out of 19 studies, 15 studies were included and 4 studies were excluded from the review. Conclusion: With the available evidence in the literature, it can be concluded that dental prostheses have a very significant role in preventing the cognitive impairment and act as a protective factor in enhancing the cognitive function in patients with dementia-related diseases and neurodegenerative diseases.

Keywords

• brain function
• cognition
• denture prostheses
• masticatory efficiency
• prefrontal activity
• tooth loss