Abstract
This study examined the effect of continuous intervention upon denture use in the elderly requiring long-term care. The subjects were elderly residents in five facilities for the aged located in the same ward of Tokyo, all of whom lacked occlusal support. The subjects were monitored continuously from April 2006 until March 2009. The subjects in two of the facilities received regular oral-function management by dentists and dental hygienists that aimed to maintain and to improve the residents’ dental condition. Intervention to the subjects, at facilities previously providing no intervention by dentists, was started at the request of the subjects. Among the 43 subjects who were using dentures at the start of the survey receiving intervention, the number using upper and lower dentures decreased from 24 to 19 and from 19 to 12 respectively (21% down for upper and 37% down for lower). By contrast, among the 35 subjects not receiving oral-function management intervention, the number using upper and lower dentures decreasing from 24 to 9 and from 22 to 7 respectively (62% down for upper and 68% down for lower).
Thus, denture use was maintained to a significant degree at the facilities providing intervention compared with those that did not. Parameters exhibiting a relation to denture use status included change in the degree of independence in daily activities on the part of the elderly with disabilities (upper : p<0.01, lower : p<0.01) and presence/absence of intervention (upper : p<0.01, lower : p<0.05). Presence/absence of intervention was chosen as a parameter related to denture use on the basis of the results of logistic regression analysis (upper : odds ratio 1.846, p=0.03, lower : odds ratio 1.301, p<0.05).
This study suggested that this kind of intervention improves the eating and swallowing function of elderly residents requiring long-term care. The results of this study thus demonstrate the potential of oral-function management to contribute to the improvement of dietary QOL.
