Changes and future issues in oral health policies for the aged related to oral function

Abstract

In promoting oral health in older adults, satisfactory oral function is directly related to dietary habits and significantly impacts overall health. In particular, mastication is a typical oral function, and targets have been set in “Health Japan 21 (3rd term)” and the “Oral Health Promotion Plan.” On the other hand, the oral functions of older adults have been addressed in policy since the concept of oral frailty was proposed in March 2015. Unfortunately, the academic definition of oral frailty continued to remain ununified for some time. However, in April 2024, three relevant academic societies released a unified definition of “oral frailty” for the first time. Accordingly, this article describes the current status of masticatory assessment in official documents, and summarizes the changes in oral health measures for older adults related to oral function, leading to the new definition of oral frailty. In addition, the applicability of the OF-5, an oral frailty assessment tool, to community oral health interventions for older adults is discussed.