Background: Oral function deterioration is related to a variety of factors, including aging, decline in activities of daily living, malnutrition, and cognitive decline. This cross-sectional study examined the effects of aging on oral function in healthy individuals. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 175 healthy, independent patients aged 40–89 years, without dementia and with ≥20 teeth, who visited a local dental clinic in Japan. Patients were compared with 92 university students aged 20–29 years. The seven criteria proposed by the Japanese Society of Gerodontology to diagnose “oral hypofunction” were observed and statistically analyzed. Results: Compared with those in the control group, the degree of tongue coating was increased in the group aged over 80 years, occlusal force was decreased in the group aged 70–79 years, tongue motor function was decreased in the groups aged 60–69 years and older, and tongue pressure was decreased in the groups aged 70–79 years and older. Conclusions: Healthy, independent individuals maintained several oral function criteria across aging, including oral mucosal wetness, occlusal force, lip motor function, masticatory function, and swallowing function. Tongue motor function and tongue pressure decreased with aging, indicating that these may be rehabilitation targets.

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> It is known that oral frailty is one of the risk factors for physical frailty. Therefore, early detection, appropriate treatment, and prevention of oral frailty are really important. Tongue lifting exercise has been identified as a well-known method for improving decreased tongue pressure, one of the factors for oral frailty. However, few reports have investigated how tongue-strengthening exercises affect physical function and body composition. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of isometric tongue lifting exercises on oral function, physical function, and body composition. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> Participants were 49 elderly people aged 68–79 years, who had previously participated in the “Itoshima Frail Study.” Participants performed isometric tongue lift exercises for 3 months. Oral function (tongue pressure and oral diadocokinesis), physical function (grip strength, open-eyed one-leg standing, sit-to-stand motion time, 5-m gait speed, and 3-m Timed up and go [TUG]), and body composition were measured at baseline and post-intervention, and the extent of changes in each item was statistically analyzed. Furthermore, participants were divided into physical frailty/pre-frailty and robust groups based on the Japanese version of the frail scale proposed by [BMC Geriatr. 2015 Apr;15:36] and were compared in terms of the extent of changes in each item baseline and the post-intervention. <b><i>Results:</i></b> After the intervention, oral function increased significantly together with a significant improvement in physical function, open-eyed one-leg standing time, sit-to-stand motion, and 3-m TUG. For body composition, visceral fat level and basal metabolic rate decreased significantly. Although no significant change in body composition was observed in the physical frailty/pre-frailty group after the intervention, significant improvements in several items were observed in the robust group. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> Isometric tongue lifting exercise can effectively improve oral function. Furthermore, it might affect physical function and body composition.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association between oral function and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in healthy university students. Oral functions and OHRQoL (General Oral Health Assessment Index; GOHAI) were investigated in 58 healthy university students. Oral functions, such as tongue pressure, tongue-lip motor function, occlusal force, and masticatory function, were examined. The participants were divided into two groups based on low and high GOHAI scores. Information about oral health, dental caries treatment history, insomnia, and personality and lifestyle was obtained using a self-reported questionnaire. Oral mucosal wetness scores and tongue-lip motor functions (oral diadochokinesis /ka/) were significantly decreased in the low GOHAI score group compared to the high GOHAI score group (p = 0.001 and p = 0.017, respectively). In the logistic regression model, the GOHAI score was independently associated with the oral mucosal wetness score (odds ratio (OR) = 0.622; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.411–0.941; p = 0.025) and oral diadochokinesis /ka/ (OR = 0.376; 95% CI, 0.170–0.832; p = 0.016). Our study demonstrated the presence of low oral function in university students and suggested its association to low OHRQoL in this population.

Background Few studies have examined the relationship between oral functions and the physical pre-frailty status, classified using physical function tests. This cross-sectional study aimed to clarify this association among community-dwelling older people from the Itoshima Frail Study in Itoshima Fukuoka Prefecture. Methods Of the 1,555 individuals invited to join the study, 381 (188 males and 193 females) enrolled. Their physical pre-frailty was assessed with a classification system consisting of two physical indicators (fatigue and unintentional weight loss, determined with a questionnaire), two functional components (declined walking speed and muscle weakness, determined using a body function measuring instrument), and declined physical activity (examined using a triaxial accelerometer). Subsequently, the individuals were classified into three groups: robust, pre-frailty, and frailty. Along with the number of teeth remaining, oral functions, such as masticatory performance, tongue pressure strength, and oral diadochokinesis (ODK), were examined. Data regarding social activity and exercise habits were collected, and the individuals’ body compositions were measured. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the physical pre-frailty were calculated using logistic regression models. Results In this study, 126 (33%) participants presented with physical pre-frailty. The participants in the robust group were younger, had stronger maximum handgrip strength, and walked faster than those in the physical pre-frailty group (p < 0.001). The robust group presented with better oral functions (masticatory performance, p = 0.015; oral ODK /ta/, p = 0.004). The physical pre-frailty status was significantly associated with age (OR, 1.111; 95% CI, 1.048–1.178; p < 0.001), masticatory performance (OR, 0.819; 95% CI, 0.680–0.986; p = 0.035), low ODK/ta/ (OR, 1.864; 95% CI, 1.069–3.250; p = 0.028), and low social activity (OR, 2.273; 95% CI, 1.308–3.951; p = 0.004). Conclusion This study indicated that older people with higher age, lower anterior tongue movement, lower masticatory performance, and lower social activity are positively associated with physical pre-frailty.

We investigated the survival of teeth that were subjected to a flap operation with implantation of hydroxyapatite (HAP) granules in periodontal osseous defects. For 70 cases over a five-year period, the survival rates for individual tooth type were determined every year. The influence of the following conditions on survival of the teeth was considered: 1) whether the patient recall at the appropriate interval was consistent; 2) whether the tooth was splinted; 3) whether the tooth had furcation involvement; and 4) how deep the probing pocket depth was at the flap operation. The survival rate for all teeth was 87% after five years, and it decreased with the passing years.The rate decreased drastically after 7 to 8 years, and it was 47% after 10 years. The survival rate by individual tooth type was 44% for upper molars, the lowest among all types of teeth; 75% for upper incisors and canine teeth; 91% for lower incisors and canine teeth and 72% for lower premolars. Teeth with furcation involvement tended to be lost. Keeping a appointment recall, splinting, and probing pocket depth at the operation appeared to have little effect upon tooth survival.Thus, despite the conditions of the teeth, HAP implant applied to a single-rooted tooth with a periodontal osseous defect resulted in a good long-term prognosis.