Evidence mapPaperPMID 40916011Full record

SynthesisGeroScience2026

Association between overweight/obesity and oral health in adults aged 55 and older: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Maryam Raoof, Sami Al Chafi, Hamid Reza Tohidinik, Ralph de Vries, Frank Lobbezoo

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in GeroScience, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Maryam RaoofDepartment of Orofacial Pain and Dysfunction, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA) University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Gustav Mahlerlaan, 3004, 1081 LA, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. m.raoof@acta.nl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2628-2136
Sami Al ChafiDepartment of Orofacial Pain and Dysfunction, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA) University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Gustav Mahlerlaan, 3004, 1081 LA, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Hamid Reza TohidinikCentre for Academic Child Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Ralph de VriesMedical Library, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Frank LobbezooDepartment of Orofacial Pain and Dysfunction, Academic Centre for Dentistry Amsterdam (ACTA) University of Amsterdam and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Gustav Mahlerlaan, 3004, 1081 LA, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of overweight/obesity among the elderly has significant implications for oral health due to shared pathophysiological mechanisms. Despite its importance, comprehensive reviews on this topic remain limited. This study investigates the association between overweight/obesity and oral health outcomes in adults aged 55 and older. This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines and was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020202108). A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, Embase.com, CINAHL, and Web of Science up to November 6, 2023. The study was structured using the Population, Intervention/Exposure, Comparison, Outcome, and Study Design (PICOS) criteria: Population (P) included adults aged ≥ 55 years; Intervention/Exposure (I/E) involved overweight/obesity; Comparison (C) included normal-weight individuals; Outcomes (O) focused on periodontal diseases, dental caries, tooth wear, and orofacial pain; and Study design (S) included case-control, cross-sectional, prospective, and retrospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials. Eligible studies underwent data extraction and quality assessment using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Meta-analyses were conducted using fixed and random effects models in Stata v.18. From 6219 records, 16 studies met the inclusion criteria. Among these, 14 focused on periodontal diseases, while 2 examined dental caries. No studies met the eligibility criteria for tooth wear or orofacial pain. The included studies were predominantly of "good" or "very good" quality. Meta-analysis indicated that overweight or obese older adults had a significantly higher risk of periodontal disease compared with normal-weight counterparts (pooled odds ratio [OR] = 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13-1.97). The association was stronger in studies conducted in Asia (OR = 2.21; 95% CI 1.28-3.81) and in mixed-sex populations (OR = 1.52; 95% CI 1.02-2.28) compared with male-only samples. The two cross-sectional studies on dental caries yielded inconsistent findings, precluding a meta-analysis for this outcome. This systematic review demonstrates a significant association between overweight/obesity and increased prevalence of periodontal disease in adults aged 55 and older. These findings underscore the need to consider oral health as a key component of general health in this population. The current evidence base is insufficient regarding dental caries, tooth wear, and orofacial pain, highlighting the need for high-quality research in these domains.

Indexed as

ObesityOral HealthOverweightAgedHumansMiddle AgedPeriodontal DiseasesDental cariesObesityOlder adultsOrofacial painPeriodontitisSystematic reviewTooth wear

Identifiers

PMID40916011
PMCPMC13356244

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.