Evaluation of effectiveness of oral care through the analyses of salivary components and autonomic nervous system.

本研究旨在通过唾液流量、唾液成分、自主神经活动等客观指标，科学评价口腔保健的效果。通过对社区老年口干症患者口腔健康教育项目3个月的干预，无刺激唾液流量和苦味敏感性明显改善，重复性唾液吞咽试验累积时间明显缩短，表明该项目可能对改善口腔功能有效。老年人在牙科保健师的护理下进行了3个月的口腔护理，口腔卫生状况得到改善，口腔功能如流涎和味觉得到改善。此外，专业的口腔护理使唾液淀粉酶活性显著降低，副交感神经活性增强，客观上表明压力减轻，放松感增强，与主观情绪的改善一致。

The aim of this study is to scientifically evaluate the effects of oral health care by using several objective indices such as salivary flow, salivary components and autonomic nervous activities. Through the 3 months'intervention of oral health education program for the community-dwelling elderly with xerostomia, unstimulated salivary flow and bitter taste sensitivity was significantly improved and cumulative time of repetitive saliva swallowing test was significantly shortened, showing that the program may be effective for improvement of oral function. Oral care of the elderly in nursing care by a dental hygienist for 3 months resulted in improvements of oral hygiene status as well as oral function such as salivation and taste. In addition, professional oral care caused significant decrease in salivary amylase activity and augmentation of parasympathetic nervous activity, objectively suggesting a reduction of stress and an enhancement of relax feeling which was consistent with improvement of subjective mood.