Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 13, 2025
Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Orofacial and cervical myofunctional intervention programmes for older adults: A scoping review
Allya Francisca Marques Borges1,2, Karinna Veríssimo Meira Taveira3,4, Jade Yohana Mesquita Eduardo5
1Associated Postgraduate Program in Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.
Introduction:
Senescent stomatognathic systems undergo anatomical changes that are not always compensated by physiology due to associated factors such as poorly fitted dentures, dental changes, and clinical conditions that trigger sarcopenia. When these conditions are not properly addressed, they can lead to nutritional deficiencies. Hence, this study aimed to map orofacial and cervical myofunctional intervention programmes for older adults, evaluate the current research in this area, and formulate suggestions for further investigation.
Methods:
Scoping review is based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews checklist. The EMBASE, LILACS, PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, and grey literature databases were systematically searched. Studies addressing therapeutic programmes, myofunctional exercises, and their influence on the stomatognathic system of older adults were included. Studies with populations younger than 60 years, residing in long-term care facilities, homes, or hospital care, and with associated comorbidities were excluded, as well as secondary studies.
Results:
A total of 3098 studies were retrieved. After applying the eligibility criteria, nine studies were eligible for this review. The nine studies were published in English between 2008 and 2021 in the United States, Japan, and South Korea. The participants' mean ages ranged from 64 to 81 years, with a preponderance of females. Six of the studies divided the sample into intervention and control groups. Two studies referred to programmes to promote oral function through facial expression and tongue muscle exercises, salivary gland massage, and swallowing biomechanics. Seven studies report the positive influence of myofunctional exercises on the stomatognathic system.
Conclusion:
The mapping concluded that therapeutic programmes, including educational actions, help prevent orofacial myofunctional disorders, and improve the functionality of the stomatognathic system.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Assessment of Airway, Skin Color, and Use of Accessory Muscles
Introduction
The initial evaluation of a patient's respiratory system...
01:20Myasthenia Gravis: Overview and Treatment
These antibodies interfere with the function of the nicotinic receptors in three ways: by binding to the receptor and disrupting acetylcholine binding; by causing cross-linking of receptors which...