The Development and Effects of a Program Designed for Older Adults to Improve their Oral Function

我们开发了一个锻炼计划菜单，老年人可以从中选择三个练习，并练习它们来改善他们的口腔功能。17名老年人表示知情同意参加该计划。男13例，女4例，平均年龄75.5±4.7岁。我们让他们练习这个项目两个月，之后我们测量了这个项目的效果，舌头练习、脸颊练习和呼吸练习的效果没有得到证实。通过检查参与者无法完全刷牙的牙齿，发现残留牙菌斑的程度明显降低。练习后，吞咽唾液所需的时间明显缩短。这些结果表明，开发的程序有助于减少残留牙菌斑的程度，并改善他们的吞咽功能。

We developed an exercise program menu from which older adults could choose three exercises and practice them to improve their oral function. Seventeen older adults expressed their informed consent to participate in the program. They consisted of 13 males and 4 females with an average age of 75.5±4.7 years old. We asked them to practice the program for two months, and we measured the effectiveness of the program afterwards.The effects of tongue exercise, cheeks exercise and breathing exercise were not confirmed. By checking the teeth that the participants could not fully brush, it was found that the degree of remaining dental plaque was significantly decreased. The time required to swallow saliva was significantly shorter after practicing the program, as opposed to before.These results suggest that the developed program helped decrease the degree of remaining dental plaque, and improved their swallowing function.