Abstract
Background and objectives: In an aging society, the maintenance of the oral function of the elderly is of importance for the delay or prevention of frailty and long-term care. In the present study, we focused on the maximum tongue pressure (MTP) value and analyzed the relationship between MTP and age, occlusal status, or body mass index (BMI). Materials and Methods: This one-center observatory study was conducted using a cohort consisting of 205 community-dwelling outpatients over 65 years old. The MTP values of all subjects were measured using a commercially available tongue pressure measurement device and statistically analyzed. In addition, the correlation between MTP value and BMI was analyzed. Results: The MTP value decreased with age, especially in subjects classified as Eichner B and C. The difference in occlusal status did not show any statistically significant influence on MTP value. The correlation between BMI and MTP value was indicated in the tested groups other than an age of 65–74 and Eichner A groups. Conclusions: Although MTP value decreased with age, the difference in occlusal status did not have an impact on MTP value. The correlation between BMI and MTP value was not shown in the youngest group or a group with sufficient occlusal units. The results presented in the present study may imply that, even if MTP is low, younger age and/or better occlusal status compensate for the inferior MTP value in the cohort studied.
Highlights
Having a significantly aged population is becoming a global issue and the delay or prevention of their frailty and subsequent demand for long-term care is strongly expected [1]
We hypothesized that age and the occlusal units affected the maximum tongue pressure (MTP) value, and so we studied the relationship between MTP value and age or occlusal status
Study population and average body mass index (BMI), the number of remaining teeth, and MTP are summarized in Tables 1 and 2
Summary
Having a significantly aged population is becoming a global issue and the delay or prevention of their frailty and subsequent demand for long-term care is strongly expected [1]. This evidence suggests the importance of the maintenance of tongue pressure for the prevention of systemic frailty. The maintenance of the oral function of the elderly is of importance for the delay or prevention of frailty and long-term care. We focused on the maximum tongue pressure (MTP) value and analyzed the relationship between. The correlation between BMI and MTP value was indicated in the tested groups other than an age of 65–74 and Eichner A groups. The correlation between BMI and MTP value was not shown in the youngest group or a group with sufficient occlusal units. The results presented in the present study may imply that, even if MTP is low, younger age and/or better occlusal status compensate for the inferior MTP value in the cohort studied
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