Maintaining good oral function may be key to longevity, finds a new study
Oral health is integral to general health and social well-being. Oral health refers not only to the number of teeth present and the level of oral hygiene but also to functions such as mastication, tongue and lip motor skills, and salivary secretion.
Researchers have found in a new study that maintaining good oral function may be key to longevity. However High-quality studies are needed to understand comprehensive oral function suggests a recent study published in the International Dental Journal
With the renewed focus on eating abilities in the ageing population, new concepts referred to as oral frailty and oral hypofunction have been introduced in Japan. We aimed to provide an overview of (i) the evaluation and management of oral function in ageing populations according to oral frailty and oral hypofunction and (ii) recent scientific evidence of the associations of poor oral function with physical function and nutritional status. Both oral frailty and oral hypofunction are multidimensional concepts that describe poor oral function. In epidemiologic and/or clinical settings, they are defined as the accumulation of factors leading to poor oral status. Oral hypofunction is a core component of oral frailty. To date, there are no systematic strategies for addressing oral frailty or oral hypofunction. Nevertheless, recent randomised controlled trials revealed that several components of oral function can be improved through appropriate training.
On the other hand, multiple observational studies published in recent years have demonstrated that oral frailty and oral hypofunction are associated with physical function (gait performance, frailty, and sarcopenia) and nutritional status (low protein intake, poor dietary diversity, and malnutrition) in community-dwelling older adults. Moreover, studies have reported a significant association between insufficient participation in social networks and poor oral function. However, most of the studies conducted to date have utilised a cross-sectional design, which does not permit assessment of the temporal association between comprehensive oral function and general health. Maintaining good oral function may be key to longevity.
However, evidence is limited thus far, and comprehensive oral function has not been studied in detail; thus, additional high-quality studies are needed.
Reference:
Masanori Iwasaki, Hirohiko Hirano. Decline in Oral Function and Its Management, International Dental Journal, Volume 72, Issue 4, Supplement, 2022, Pages S12-S20, ISSN 0020-6539, z
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020653922001228
