Relationship Between Frailty and Oral Function in Community-Dwelling Elderly Adults

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Oral Health
• Geriatric Medicine

Background:

• Oral function is crucial for overall health in aging populations.
• Frailty is a significant geriatric syndrome associated with adverse health outcomes.
• Understanding the link between oral function and frailty is essential for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish normative values for objective oral function in healthy older adults.
• To investigate age-related changes in oral function.
• To compare oral function across different frailty statuses (robust, prefrail, frail).
• To determine the association between specific oral function parameters and frailty.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 4,720 community-dwelling older adults (≥65 years).
• Frailty assessed using the 5-domain phenotype (mobility, strength, endurance, physical activity, nutrition).
• Oral function measured included: number of teeth, occlusal force, masseter muscle thickness, and oral diadochokinesis (ODK) rate.

Main Results:

• Oral function parameters (teeth count, occlusal force, masseter muscle thickness, ODK rate) declined with advancing age.
• Frail individuals demonstrated significantly poorer oral function compared to robust individuals, including fewer teeth, lower occlusal force, reduced muscle thickness, and slower ODK rate.
• Multivariate analysis confirmed significant associations between frailty and age, cognitive function, nutritional status, comorbidities, and oral function parameters.

Conclusions:

• Age-related decline in objective oral function is evident in older adults.
• Frailty is strongly associated with diminished oral function, highlighting its importance in geriatric health.
• Lower occlusal force, masseter muscle thickness, and ODK rate are significant predictors of frailty risk.