Decision letter for "Reliability and comparability of methods for assessing oral function: chewing, tongue pressure, and lip force"

Background. Maintaining good oral function is one of the goals of dental treatment. The Japanese national insurance system newly introduced the concept of management of oral function according to the life stage. For the application of management of oral functions of the elderly, seven kinds of examination is a must for the diagnosis: xerostomia, oral hygiene status, maximum occlusal pressure, tongue and labium function, tongue pressure, chewing ability, and swallowing function. We analyzed the relationship between oral functions and supplied food consistency. Methods. Oral functions and supplied food consistency of sixty-nine institutionalized elderly were investigated. There were 13 men and 56 women, and their mean age was 86.23 ± 7.02. Oral functions were measured and evaluated according to the Japanese insurance system. Data were analyzed by item response theory analysis, ROC analysis, and decision analysis. Results. By the item response theory analysis, tongue pressure and swallowing functions had high discrimination ability. The subjects who had malfunction of the tongue and labium all had processed food. The subjects with difficulty in swallowing, even without malfunction of the tongue and labium, all had processed food. Conclusion. Supplied food consistency may depend on the oral functions. However, as oral function has some dimension, a systematic evaluation system is necessary to decide the supplied food consistency.

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Tongue pressure examination; an objective assessment of oral function

Annals of Japan Prosthodontic Society ◽

10.2186/ajps.8.45 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 45-45

Author(s):

Miwa Matsuyama

Keyword(s):

Objective Assessment ◽

Tongue Pressure ◽

Oral Function

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The Effects of Chewing Exercises on Masticatory Function after Surgical Orthodontic Treatment

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app11188488 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (18) ◽

pp. 8488

Author(s):

Shinichi Negishi ◽

Kota Sato ◽

Kazutaka Kasai

Keyword(s):

Orthognathic Surgery ◽

Orthodontic Treatment ◽

Tongue Pressure ◽

Control Group ◽

Sagittal Split Ramus Osteotomy ◽

Occlusal Force ◽

Oral Function ◽

Masticatory Function ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Pattern Width

Recovery of oral function is one of the most important objectives of orthognathic surgery. This study investigated the effects of a chewing exercise on chewing patterns and other oral functions after sagittal split ramus osteotomy (SSRO). Ten subjects performed a chewing exercise. The control group comprised 19 patients. For masticatory function, the masticatory pattern, width, and height were assessed. For oral function, the occlusal, lip closure, and tongue pressure forces were measured. The chewing exercise was started 3 months after SSRO, and was performed for 5 min twice a day for 3 months. The masticatory pattern normalized in 60% of the patients and remained unchanged for the reversed and crossover types in 40% of the patients. In contrast, 21.0% of patients in the control group showed a change to the normal type. This may be a natural adaptation due to the changes in morphology. A more detailed study is needed to determine what does and does not improve with chewing exercise. The masticatory width significantly increased after performing the exercise. For oral function, a significant increase in the occlusal force was observed, with no significant difference in the control group. Chewing exercises immediately after SSRO improve masticatory patterns.

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Effect of Isometric Tongue Lifting Exercise on Oral Function, Physical Function, and Body Composition in Community-Dwelling Older Individuals: A Pilot Study

Gerontology ◽

10.1159/000518270 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Kiyomi Iyota ◽

Shinsuke Mizutani ◽

Hiro Kishimoto ◽

Saori Oku ◽

Asuka Tani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Composition ◽

Physical Function ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Tongue Pressure ◽

Older Individuals ◽

Physical Frailty ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Oral Function ◽

Sit To Stand ◽

Oral Frailty

Introduction: 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. Methods: 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. Results: 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. Conclusion: Isometric tongue lifting exercise can effectively improve oral function. Furthermore, it might affect physical function and body composition.

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