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Thursday, 16 Apr, 2026
NDCS-led study finds that keeping your teeth could add years of independent living
Dental Asia
A study led by the National Dental Centre Singapore (NDCS), in collaboration with researchers from Duke-NUS Medical School, has found that maintaining a greater number of natural teeth is associated with significantly more years of independent living among older adults, particularly those who do not use removable dental prostheses.
Associate Prof Rahul Malhotra, senior co-author of the study, said: “This study shows that oral health is closely linked to how long people can remain independent as they age. We found that the benefits of retaining more natural teeth — particularly among those who do not use removable dental prostheses — were more pronounced among men and participants with lower levels of education. This suggests that oral health may play an important role in shaping inequalities in ageing outcomes. It also highlights the importance of tooth retention and equitable access to appropriate dental care, not only for clinical outcomes but for healthy ageing more broadly.”
Read the full article here.