Social capital: theory, evidence, and implications for oral health.

In the last two decades, there has been increasing application of the concept of social capital in various fields of public health, including oral health. However, social capital is a contested concept with debates on its definition, measurement, and application. This study provides an overview of the concept of social capital, highlights the various pathways linking social capital to health, and discusses the potential implication of this concept for health policy.

Tooth loss associated with physical and cognitive decline in older adults.

Objectives: To examine the effect of total tooth loss (edentulousness) on decline in physical and cognitive functioning over 10 years in older adults in England.

Design: Secondary data analysis.

Setting: English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, a national prospective cohort study of community-dwelling people aged 50 and older.