The effect of tooth loss on gait stability

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The effect of tooth loss on gait stability of community-dwelling older adults
Christina Brand et al
Gerodontology; Early View

 

Very small test group (24 edentulous and 25 dentate control participants). Probably have similar results from wearers of tartan pattern socks and contol group of non-tartan pattern socks.

 

Are you kidding me with this s*** right here?!

 

Ask Doctor/Professor/Mister Rothbart!

Cheers

Bill

 

Perhaps a study of traumatic tooth loss as a result of falls related to gait instability would be more entertaining.

 

It makes me sad. This just screams "post hoc ergo propter hoc". The error is written into the very title. Yet educated people wrote it, and nobody thought to point and laugh during the process of getting it published!

I wonder if we can mandate all students to have "correlation =/= causation" tattoo'd somewhere on their body's before they are allowed to graduate...

 

Might as well take 25 people with wigs, 25 people without wigs and conclude that wigs cause cancer!

 

Be fair now, in the process of their career, many rugby players lose teeth. It could be because they lack stability when running, therefore are subject to more tackles and are therefore kicked in the mouth. with BR insoles they would be stable, would be tackled less, would not lose their teeth, would therefore have a higher gait velocity and would therefore not be subject to losing their teeth.... I think that I'm losing the will to live.

Bill

 

The sample size is definitely small, but the concept itself isn’t as far-fetched as it sounds. There’s growing evidence that oral health plays a role in overall neuromuscular function, especially in older adults. Tooth loss can affect bite force and proprioception (the body’s sense of position), which may subtly influence posture and balance over time.

In community settings, even minor reductions in stability can increase fall risk, so it makes sense researchers are exploring less obvious contributing factors. It’s not that missing teeth directly cause instability, but they may be one piece of a bigger puzzle involving nutrition, muscle strength, and sensory feedback.

Clinically, maintaining functional dentition or well-fitted prosthetics is often emphasised for more than just eating and aesthetics. Practices such as Indental Castle Hill highlight this broader approach to oral health, if you’re curious about how dental status ties into overall wellbeing, you can visit here: indentalcastlehill . com . au for a clearer picture of that connection.

The study might be limited, but it opens the door to thinking about oral health in a more holistic way rather than in isolation.