Purpose：The purpose of this study was to examine a simple training method that is expected to maintain and improve chewing ability for healthy late-elderly subjects.

　Methods：Thirty healthy late-elderly residents living in Yachiyo City, Chiba prefecture and the surrounding areas（9 men, 75-89 years old, 21 women, 75-89 years old）were included. Gum-chewing training was conducted three times a day for 30 days as a simple training method. Mastication ability was evaluated with gummy swallowing threshold（stroke）, gummy swallowing threshold（time）, and chewing check gum. Swallowing ability was evaluated by the repetitive saliva swallowing test（RSST）. Physical function was evaluated by raising one foot with the eyes open.

　Results：The chewing ability was significantly improved for chewing stroke, chewing time and chewing check gum. There was no change in swallowing ability. Body function was significantly improved.

　Conclusions：We found that gum-chewing training for 30 days improved chewing ability and physical function. Thus, gum-chewing training is an excellent functional training method.

　Oral care scatters bacteria in the oral cavity. Therefore, an important procedure of oral care is to eliminate residual contaminants, although there is no standardized method. In this study, we investigated whether wiping with a sponge brush after oral cleaning using suction is an effective procedure to improve oral health. The subjects were 62 elderly requiring care who were hospitalized in a sanatorium type of medical care facility. Professional oral care was provided by dental hygienists after lunch. Bacteria on the dorsal surface of the tongue were gathered at three time points：before oral cleaning, just after oral cleaning before wiping with a sponge brush, and after wiping with a sponge brush. The number of bacteria was analyzed by the Rapid Oral Bacteria Quantification System（Panasonic Healthcare Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan）. The number of bacteria counted at the three time points changed significantly. Wiping with a sponge brush significantly decreased the bacteria count after oral cleaning using suction. The number of bacteria before oral care was larger in the non-oral intake group and in the group with 10 or more remaining teeth. In the groups with a high number of bacteria, the bacteria count decreased in steps. In the groups with a low number of bacteria, the bacteria count temporarily increased after oral cleaning but decreased by wiping with a sponge brush. These results suggest that wiping with a sponge brush after oral cleaning using suction can be an effective procedure for eliminating residual contaminants.