Abstract
Membranous substances are sometimes observed on the dorsum of the tongue, teeth and buccal mucosa in elderly persons requiring nursing care, but the cause of such formation has not yet been elucidated. In this study, the membranous substances sampled from elderly persons requiring nursing care were microscopically observed, the presence of epithelial components was confirmed, and an investigation was conducted regarding the formative cause of membranous substances with epithelial components. The subjects were 70 elderly persons requiring nursing care in C hospital who were 65-years or older (81.1±7.7 years old). In addition to investigating age, disorders, commonly used agents, the degree of mobility (severity of bedridden state), the level of consciousness, the presence of communication, the ability of speech, and the frequency of assisted tooth-brushing from hospital records, an evaluation was carried out on the gingival index. The presence of an open-mouth state, as well as the degree of moisture retention of the mucous membrane of the tongue was also observed. Decision tree analysis was carried out with the presence of each membranous substance formation as the dependent variable. The condition of food ingestion was closely involved in the formation of membranous substances inside the oral cavity of elderly persons requiring nursing care, suggesting that non-oral ingestion was the cause for such formation. The major cause of membranous substance formation was the dryness of the oral membrane. It was suggested that the prevention of oral dryness may prevent membranous substance formation in the oral cavity.
