Comparison of Oral Moisture Levels by Oral Moisturizing Measures before Eating:

Older and Younger Subjects

Abstract

To prevent oral dryness, which is a cause of dysphagia, we compared the effects of four oral moisturizing measures - oral exercises, tooth brushing, water intake, and moisturizing gel application - implemented at older care facilities as part of meal preparation. The oral moisture levels of 15 older （66-84y,o） and 15 younger （21-22y,o） subjects were measured before and immediately after each measure using the oral moisture meter Mucus. The results showed that the older subjects had a lower level of oral moistness than the younger subjects, indicating the strong need for taking certain measures before eating. However, if the oral was dry before the measures were applied, the application of the measures improved the oral condition, but if a certain level of moistness was maintained before the measures were applied, the measures had the opposite effect.