2020 Volume 26 Issue 2 Pages 79-83
Decline in tongue pressure is one of the main symptoms of oral frailty, and the tongue pressure test is used to diagnose it. Based on the results of previous studies, the criteria for the diagnosis of low tongue pressure was set at a maximum tongue pressure of less than 30 kPa. The evidence is based on the standard values of maximum tongue pressure in age groups, differences in maximum tongue pressure between patients with dysphagia, elderly people requiring nursing care and healthy people, difference by diet texture, and results of previous studies on frailty, sarcopenia and tongue pressure. However, depending on the results of future studies, the diagnostic criteria for tongue pressure should be revised. Because of its simplicity, the tongue pressure test has been used in many studies. In the future, we hope that the members of Japanese Society for Stomatognathic Function will make further use of this technology for the early detection and treatment of oral frailty in the field of nursing care prevention.
