Association of denture use with sleep-disordered breathing among older adults

Objective: This study investigates the relationship between sleep-disordered breathing and denture use. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of community-dwelling older adults. Information about denture use was obtained using a questionnaire. Ambulatory sleep recording in subjects' homes was performed using Embletta PDS (Medcare, Iceland). Chi-square tests and logistic regression analysis were used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 58 subjects completed the study. The mean apnea hypopnea (AHI) index was 15.1 +/- 16.1. Twenty-two subjects (38%) used dentures and most removed them before sleep. There was significant association between denture use and AHIgreater than or equal to 15 per hour of sleep (odds ratio [OR]=6.29; 95% confidence interval [CI]= 1.71, 23.22, P = .006). Conclusions: This preliminary study found an association between sleep-disordered breathing and denture use, which may represent a proxy for a relationship between sleep-disordered breathing and edentulism. Given the common occurrence of both conditions among older adults, the observed relationship warrants a more detailed investigation of the mechanisms whereby loss of teeth leads to upper airway closure during sleep.