Material of Reference
Relationship between toothbrushing and secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) in elderly people
2023 Volume 89 Issue 3 Pages 97-104
Details
2023 Volume 89 Issue 3 Pages 97-104
Elderly people diagnosed with infectious respiratory diseases often have poor symptoms, which can easily worsen.
Oral hygiene can help prevent infectious respiratory disease. Performing oral hygiene with a toothbrush is common in elderly people. This study investigated the relationship between daily toothbrushing and secretory immunoglobulin A (SIgA) in saliva.
This study was a cross-sectional survey of 15 community-dwelling elderly people who belonged to a seniorʼs club. Data were obtained using questionnaires, and toothbrushing, handwashing, palm colony, sleep index, and saliva samples were collected as well. Data analysis on toothbrushing times was performed on two groups of participants categorized according to brushing time (long group ≥ 85.5 s; short group<85.5 s).
Fourteen participants were analyzed. Seven people were allocated to each group. The results revealed the causal SIgA, and the levels of SIgA in the long group were significantly higher than those in the short group. In addition, oral hygiene indications (period after the day of the last dental clinic, and the number of natural teeth) tended to be high in the long group.
Increased levels of SIgA, which is involved in oral airway mucosal immunity, and might prevention of infectious respiratory diseases. The findings of this study suggested that prolonged brushing time resulted in increased SIgA levels; this increase probably lead to the prevention of infectious respiratory diseases.
In the future, we will evaluate toothbrushing techniques, share effective methods with elderly people, increase the number of subjects, and verify the relationship between daily toothbrushing techniques and SIgA.
Toothbrushing times over 85.5 seconds may maintain oral hygiene, increase or maintain SIgA levels, and subsequently prevent infectious respiratory diseases in elderly people. We did not observe satisfactory toothbrushing techniques. Therefore, effective toothbrushing techniques could be taught to elderly people to prevent the contraction of infectious respiratory disease.
