Relationship Between Oral Health and Dysphagia in the Chinese Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional...

Poor oral health and dysphagia are common age-related conditions, yet their interrelationship in Chinese community-dwelling older adults remains underexplored. To investigate the association between oral health and dysphagia in Chinese community-dwelling older adults using a dual-method screening. Cross-sectional study. Community health centers across Zhejiang Province, China. 3325 adults aged ≥ 65 years. Oral health was assessed via the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT), and dysphagia was screened for using the Water Swallowing Test (WST) and the Eating Assessment Tool-10 (EAT-10). Multivariate logistic regression adjusted for confounders. Poor oral health prevalence was 78.9% (n = 2,622), and dysphagia prevalence was 17.7% (n = 587). Higher OHAT scores (OR = 1.094, 95% CI:1.023-1.170), dry lips (OR = 1.432), reduced saliva (OR = 1.454), fewer natural teeth (OR = 1.160), and dental pain (OR = 1.303) were significantly associated with dysphagia. We demonstrate that compromised oral health is an independent determinant of dysphagia in the Chinese geriatric population. These results compel the integration of mandatory oral health screenings within geriatric care protocols and the establishment of dentist-speech therapist-nutritionist teams as a critical standard for optimizing dysphagia outcomes.