The tongue microbiota type was significantly associated with an increased mortality risk from pneumonia in nursing home residents.

Enteral tube feeding is widely used to maintain nutrition for elderly adults with eating difficulties, but its long-term use alters the environment of the oral ecosystem. This study characterized the tongue microbiota of tube-fed elderly adults by analyzing the 16S rRNA gene. The terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) profiles of 44 tube-fed subjects were compared with those of 54 subjects fed orally (average age, 86.4 ؎ 6.9 years). Bar-coded pyrosequencing data were also obtained for a subset of the subjects from each group (15 tube-fed subjects and 16 subjects fed orally). The T-RFLP profiles demonstrated that the microbiota of the tube-fed subjects was distinct from that of the subjects fed orally (permutational multivariate analysis of variance [perMANOVA], P < 0.001). The pyrosequencing data revealed that 22 bacterial genera, including Corynebacterium, Peptostreptococcus, and Fusobacterium, were significantly more predominant in tube-fed subjects, whereas the dominant genera in the subjects fed orally, such as Streptococcus and Veillonella, were present in much lower proportions. Opportunistic pathogens rarely detected in the normal oral microbiota, such as Corynebacterium striatum and Streptococcus agalactiae, were often found in high proportions in tube-fed subjects. The oral indigenous microbiota is disrupted by the use of enteral feeding, allowing health-threatening bacteria to thrive.

The comprehensive microfloral profile of the tongue coating is closely related to pneumonia-related health problems in institutionalized older adults.

These data demonstrate that the oral cavity of the elderly is inhabited by a diverse array of fungi not limited to typical Candida species and they suggest that the diversity in distribution is associated with health status.

Background Although statistical associations between tooth loss and cognitive decline have been reported, there are few previous studies on denture wearing. Additionally, it remains unclear whether nutritional status mediates this association. Objective Our purpose was to test for the hypothesis that the association between the number of teeth and denture wearing with cognitive function is mediated by nutritional status in residents of nursing homes. Materials and Methods We enrolled 162 participants who required long‐term care (mean age: 87.7 ± 7.5 years, 26 men and 136 women) and were admitted to eight nursing homes in Fukuoka city, from September 2013 to March 2014. A trained dentist conducted dental and swallowing examinations, and the care‐staff assessed nutritional status, comorbid conditions and cognitive function using the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR). Results Poisson regression analysis showed that 0‐19 teeth without dentures were associated with severe cognitive impairment (CDR 3) (prevalence ratio = 2.00; 95% confidence interval: 1.13‐3.55) after adjustment for sex, age, suspected swallowing dysfunction and comorbid conditions. Mediation analysis confirmed that the nutritional status as a mediator of this association (the percentage mediated effect through nutritional status was 23.1%). Conclusion There is an association between dental status and cognitive impairment in elder individuals, and dentures and poor nutrition are involved in this association. However, due to the cross‐sectional design of this study, there is a possibility that this association is bidirectional.