Mandibular positioning skills with respect to age

Area of Science:

• Oral motor function and sensory perception
• Geriatric dentistry and aging research

Background:

• Neuromuscular control is vital for oral functions like chewing and speaking.
• Aging's impact on mandibular control and position sense is not well-documented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how age affects the perception of mandibular position in healthy, dentate adults.
• To compare static and dynamic oral motor skills related to jaw position sense across different age groups.

Main Methods:

• A static task assessed the perception of size differences using objects between incisors.
• A dynamic task evaluated the ability to reproduce jaw positions without tooth contact.
• Both tasks were performed by healthy dentate individuals of varying ages.

Main Results:

• A significant age-related decline was observed in both static and dynamic oral motor skills.
• Tooth contact significantly enhanced the accuracy of mandibular position determination, regardless of age.
• Older adults showed a greater deficit in position perception compared to younger individuals.

Conclusions:

• Aging negatively impacts the precision of oral motor skills, particularly jaw position sense.
• The findings highlight the importance of tooth integrity for maintaining oral sensorimotor function in seniors.
• Clinical dental care for the elderly should consider age-related changes in mandibular function and perception.