The Association Between Tooth Loss and Hearing Impairment: Partial Compensation with Dental Implants

BACKGROUND: Some studies have described a relationship between hearing loss and the number of teeth. However, a connection between treatment for tooth loss and hearing improvement remains uncertain. This study aimed to evaluate the association between hearing loss and the number of natural teeth, as well as the association between hearing improvement and dental implants   METHODS: Relevant subjects were retrieved from participants in the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted between 2020 and 2021. Individuals with available information on demographic factors, underlying diseases, audiological results, and the number of natural teeth and dental implants were included in the analysis. Subjects were categorized into normal hearing, mild hearing loss, and moderate hearing loss groups based on the hearing level of the worse ear.   RESULTS: The normal hearing group had the highest number of natural teeth and dental implants, followed by the mild hearing loss group, and then the moderate hearing loss group (P < .001 after adjusting for other factors). Additionally, a linear decrease in hearing level was observed in correlation with the number of natural teeth (P < .001) and dental implants (P < .001).   CONCLUSION: Hearing loss was significantly associated with tooth loss, and the number of dental implants showed a relationship with lower hearing threshold. Since most sensorineural hearing loss is not curable, and rehabilitation is important, identifying aggravated hearing status in cases of significant tooth loss may be helpful for managing hearing loss.