Non-Cochrane · aetiology · PM42144901
Associations Between Multimorbidity, Polypharmacy and Oral Conditions in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Srisanoi Kittipit, Maniewicz Sabrina, Leles Claudio Rodrigues, et al. · Gerodontology · 2026 · PubMed · doi:10.1111/ger.70065
Findings
Population Older adults aged 75 years or older
4 findings
| Multimorbidity (two or more diseases; exposure) | No multimorbidity | Dry mouth Older adults aged 75 years or older (mean age 75 or older) | OR 1.87 [0.50, 7.00] GRADE not reported 2 studies |
| Multimorbidity (two or more diseases; exposure) | No multimorbidity | Edentulism Older adults aged 75 years or older (mean age 75 or older) | OR 1.91 [0.24, 15.13] GRADE not reported 2 studies |
| Polypharmacy (more than 5 medications; exposure) | No polypharmacy | Dry mouth (self-reported) Older adults aged 75 years or older (mean age 75 or older) | OR 2.05 [1.31, 3.22] GRADE not reported 2 studies · 931 participants |
| Management targeting multimorbidity or polypharmacy | Usual care or no management | Oral health outcomes Older adults aged 75 years or older (mean age 75 or older) | No studies evaluating management targeting multimorbidity or polypharmacy with the aim of improving oral health outcomes were identified. No studies found 0 studies |
Included primary studies 24
Open in Studies| Study | Year | Also included by | Outcomes it informs here | Trial data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ni Chroinin 2016 Oral Health Status Is Associated with Common Medical Comorbidities in Older Hospital Inpatients. PMID:27487009 | 2016 | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Saarela 2014 Dentition status, malnutrition and mortality among older service housing residents DOI:10.1007/s12603-013-0358-3 | 2014 | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Syrjala 2011 Salivary flow rate and periodontal infection - a study among subjects aged 75 years or older. PMID:21114589 | 2011 | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Tamaki 2024 Factors correlated to oral frailty and number of remaining teeth among 80-year-old population in Japan. PMID:39614168 | 2024 | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Anliker 2023 Dental status and its correlation with polypharmacy and multimorbidity in a Swiss nursing home population: a cross-sectional study. PMID:36881159 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Hirata 2025 Subjectively Low Oral Function Is Associated With Physical Frailty and Polypharmacy in Community-Dwelling Older Adults. PMID:40163499 | 2025 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Ichikawa 2011 Relationships between the amount of saliva and medications in elderly individuals. PMID:20545772 | 2011 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Islas-Granillo 2019 Indicators of oral health in older adults with and without the presence of multimorbidity: a cross-sectional study. PMID:30787597 | 2019 | this review only | Edentulism; Dry mouth; Dry mouth (self-reported); PM42144901-P2-O2 | not extracted yet |
| Janssens 2017 Medication Use and Its Potential Impact on the Oral Health Status of Nursing Home Residents in Flanders (Belgium). PMID:28733184 | 2017 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Katsoulis 2012 Oral and general health status in patients treated in a dental consultation clinic of a geriatric ward in Bern, Switzerland. PMID:21726274 | 2012 | this review only | Edentulism; Dry mouth (self-reported) | not extracted yet |
| Klotz 2020 Short-Term Effects of a Deterioration of General Health on the Oral Health of Nursing-Home Residents. PMID:32021130 | 2020 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Lynge Pedersen 2015 Oral mucosal lesions in older people: relation to salivary secretion, systemic diseases and medications. PMID:25754744 | 2015 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Morita 2021 [Relationship between the number of prescribed medications and oral dysfunction in elderly individuals]. PMID:33456016 | 2021 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Nakamura 2021 Impact of polypharmacy on oral health status in elderly patients admitted to the recovery and rehabilitation ward. PMID:33280240 | 2021 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Rosenberg 2021 Polypharmacy Negatively Affects Oral Health in Older Adults. PMID:33625018 | 2021 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Saarela 2014 Dentition status, malnutrition and mortality among older service housing residents. PMID:24402386 | 2014 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Smidt 2011 Associations between oral and ocular dryness, labial and whole salivary flow rates, systemic diseases and medications in a sample of older… PMID:21070322 | 2011 | this review only | Edentulism; Dry mouth; Dry mouth (self-reported); PM42144901-P2-O2 | not extracted yet |
| Tada 2025 Oral-Systemic Health Burden and Dry Mouth as an Intermediary Factor: A Cross-Sectional Study in Singapore Nursing Homes. PMID:41075466 | 2025 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Tan 2020 Xerogenic Medications as a Predictor for Dental Health Intervention in People with Dementia. PMID:32417782 | 2020 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Tanaka 2024 Oral status of older adults receiving home medical care: A cross-sectional study. PMID:38830832 | 2024 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Tuuliainen 2020 Oral Health and Hygiene and Association of Functional Ability: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Old Home Care Clients. PMID:32016174 | 2020 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Viljakainen 2016 Xerostomia among older home care clients. PMID:26739925 | 2016 | this review only | Edentulism; Dry mouth (self-reported) | not extracted yet |
| Weyant 2004 Medical and cognitive correlates of denture wearing in older community-dwelling adults. PMID:15066077 | 2004 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Wu 2025 Association between multimorbidity and having less than 20 natural teeth among Chinese older adults: a cross-sectional study. PMID:40050420 | 2025 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
Overlap with other reviews
Reviews that include the same primary studies are not independent evidence. Shared counts match studies by PMID, DOI or NCT, and otherwise by author and year (a probable match). Only the non-Cochrane dental reviews have study lists, so overlap with Cochrane reviews is not counted yet.
Review question
| Element | Planned (methods) | Found (results) |
|---|---|---|
| Population | Older adults aged 75 years or older (or mean age 75 years or older); sample size at least 10 per study group | Older adults aged 75 years or older; care-dependent (12 studies) and community-dwelling (10 studies) (n=23 studies) |
| Intervention | Exposure: multimorbidity/comorbidity and/or polypharmacy | Multimorbidity (14 studies), polypharmacy (17 studies); 8 studies examined both |
| Comparison | Without multimorbidity or polypharmacy | Older adults without multimorbidity or polypharmacy, or with lower numbers of diseases or medications |
| Outcomes | Oral conditions (oral health status, DMF-T, gingival and plaque index, periodontal status, number of teeth, edentulism, dry mouth, oral function) and their management | Number of teeth, edentulism, oral function, OHAT, dry mouth and hyposalivation, root caries, periodontitis, plaque, bleeding on probing, oral candidiasis |
| Study designs | Studies reporting the association between multimorbidity and/or polypharmacy and oral conditions; reviews, protocols and abstracts excluded | 21 cross-sectional and 2 cohort studies (n=23); 4 studies pooled |
| Timing | Not specified | Cohort follow-up 6 months and 3 years |