Cognitive function and oral function of older adults

Abstract

As a term indicating the state that the oral function of older adults decreased, both of oral frailty and oral hypofunction are used. Oral hypofunction is a disease whereas oral frailty expresses the state that an oral function decreases. It is reported that decreasing oral function is associated with dementia and decreasing cognitive function. Because the treatment of dementia is not yet established, we should consider the prevention of mild cognitive impairment by the management of oral function in older adults. In this report, we introduce recent reports including our researches about the association between cognitive function and oral function.