Division of Dysphagia Rehabilitation, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan.
Unit of Dysphagia Rehabilitation, Niigata University Medical & Dental Hospital, Niigata, Japan.
Gerodontology. 2023 Sep;40(3):308-316. doi: 10.1111/ger.12655. Epub 2022 Sep 6.
Declining oral function may affect subsequent physical frailty in the older population. The aim of this longitudinal study was to summarise data on patients who underwent functional oral examination and evaluate the impact of management on patients with oral hypofunction (OHF).
Dental outpatients aged over 65 years at their initial visit to the Niigata University Hospital received detailed assessment of seven oral function items to diagnose oral hypofunction using diagnostic criteria defined by the Japanese Society of Gerodontology. Patients with OHF at the first assessment received management including oral health guidance for low function and dental treatment. They were re-evaluated approximately 6 months later and the two assessments were compared. According to the results of the second assessment, the patients were divided into two groups: OHF improved and OHF re-diagnosed.
Of the 273 patients who underwent the first assessment, 86 (31.5%) were diagnosed with OHF and received management. Of those, 42 (48.8%) completed the second assessment. Comparing the first and second assessment, significant improvement was observed in oral hygiene, occlusal force, tongue-lip motor function of /pa/, mastication and swallowing. The change in values from the first assessment demonstrated a significant difference between the OHF improved and re-diagnosed groups only in occlusal force.
Management for patients with OHF can contribute to the improvement of poor oral function, and an increase in occlusal force was notable in the recovery from OHF.
口腔功能下降可能会影响老年人群随后的身体虚弱。本纵向研究旨在总结接受口腔功能检查的患者数据，并评估管理对口腔功能减退（OHF）患者的影响。
初次到新泻大学医院就诊的 65 岁以上牙科门诊患者接受了七项口腔功能项目的详细评估，以使用日本老年牙科协会定义的诊断标准诊断口腔功能减退。在第一次评估中被诊断为 OHF 的患者接受了包括口腔低功能保健指导和牙科治疗在内的管理。大约 6 个月后对他们进行重新评估，并比较两次评估的结果。根据第二次评估的结果，患者被分为 OHF 改善和 OHF 重新诊断两组。
在接受第一次评估的 273 名患者中，86 名（31.5%）被诊断为 OHF 并接受了管理。其中，42 名（48.8%）完成了第二次评估。比较第一次和第二次评估，口腔卫生、咬合力、/pa/舌唇运动功能、咀嚼和吞咽功能均有显著改善。在第一次评估中，OHF 改善组和重新诊断组的咬合力值变化差异有统计学意义。
OHF 患者的管理有助于改善口腔功能减退，咬合力的增加在 OHF 恢复中是显著的。
