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The aim of this study was to assess factors associated with tooth loss in elderly 60 years or older during a four-year observation period. A representative cohort of dentate elderly from the city of São Paulo, Brazil, participated in the study. The outcome was teeth loss incidence from 2006 to 2010. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, health services access and use, behavior, reported diseases, cognitive status, functional status, state of dentition, and use of dental prosthesis were recorded as independent variables in 2006 and the outcome was measured in 2010. Negative binomial regression models were used. Participation included 440 dentate elderly. Increased likelihood of tooth loss was associated with use of two removable prostheses (RR = 1.57; 95%CI: 1.02-2.41), fair self-rated oral health (RR = 1.62; 95%CI: 1.11-2.36), bad/very bad self-rated oral health (RR = 1.87; 95%CI: 1.11-3.17), male gender (RR = 1.74; 95%CI: 1.28-2.37), and living alone (RR = 2.03; 95%CI: 1.11-3.72).

The present study investigated the prevalence of poor self-perceived oral health and its association with oral health, general health and socioeconomic factors among elderly individuals from São Paulo, Brazil. The sample consisted of 871 elderly individuals enrolled in the Health, Wellbeing and Aging cohort study. Self-perceived oral health was measured by the question: "How would you rate your oral health?". Most subjects self-rated their oral health as good. Among dentate individuals, poor oral health was related to depression, poor self-rated health, dental treatment, dental checkups and the psychosocial subscale scores of the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index. Edentulous individuals were more likely to report poor oral health, whereas those with higher psychosocial scores were less likely to report poor self-rated oral health. Poor self-rated oral health is associated with general health factors and the psychosocial impact of oral health on quality of life, regardless of socioeconomic and clinical health measures.