New Study: If You Still Have This, You’re More Likely To Turn 100

You might have a million-dollar smile, but researchers say that grin could also be associated with another important metric: the number of years you might live.

Noting that global life expectancy has risen to the age of 73.5 in recent years, seven researchers in China gazed into what recent research has suggested may be a predictor of longevity: teeth.

Published in the peer-vetted health research journal JMIR Aging, their March 2025 study found a potential link between edentulousness (also known as tooth loss) and longevity—specifically, living to the age of 100.

Citing past data, the researchers say oral diseases affect more than 3.5 billion people worldwide, while dental health is “a surrogate for overall health.” The research team used data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey to further investigate this cause-and-effect with the aim to advise interventions that maximize life expectancy.

In total, 4,239 participants were included in the study, all between the ages of 80 and 100. From there, the researchers used two main distinctions to divide them:

• 1,470 were identified as having edentulousness (participants with “the complete loss” of teeth)
• 2,769 were identified as non-edentulous (participants with at least one tooth)

Out of the 4,239 individuals, 14.3% (607 people) reached the age of 100. Within that group of 607, only 43.5% (264) were considered edentulous.

When the team narrowed the results to only include individuals who were followed up with for at least two years, the results were even more stark: Out of 2,310 participants, the likelihood of becoming a centenarian dropped to 17.7% for people with edentulousness, while the likelihood was 82.3% for non-edentulous individuals. The researchers report that “for the first time, the influence of edentulousness on the likelihood of becoming a centenarian,” namely that the “presence of natural teeth was linked to an increased probability” of reaching the age of 100.

Though the team noted some potential limitations in their study—namely that lifestyle behaviors and medical conditions were self-reported by the individuals—their findings might make sense. Oral health is tied to access to healthy habits like nutrition, being a non-smoker, and practicing healthy hygiene. Other recent research has spoken to poor dental hygiene and its connection to an increased dementia risk and possible cancer risks.

It’s all the more reason to maintain regular check-ups with your dentist, brush your teeth, and floss—which some experts say is one of the most important things you can do for good heart health and stroke prevention.

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