Background There are several researches demonstrating that community-based educational and exercise programs can improve oral function in older people. However, the relationship between oral function and long-term participation in health programs has not been fully elucidated. The objective of this study was to clarify the oral health status and oral function of older people (≥ 65 years) who had been participating in community-based exercise programs at community salons. Methods We enrolled 108 women (mean age: 77.6 ± 5.7 years) who participated in oral and physical exercise programs once a week at community salons in Takehara throughout May 2017. This cross-sectional pilot study was approved by the Ethical Committee of Hiroshima University and informed consent was obtained from all participants. To assess oral function, the following tests were performed: tongue pressure test, oral diadochokinesis (ODK) measurement, repetitive saliva swallowing test (RSST) and oral wetness measurement. Results A significant negative correlation was found between age and ODK or RSST (Spearman’s rank correlation; P = 0.007 and P = 0.01, respectively). The duration of participation ranged widely from 1 month to 7 years (median: 2.3 years). Although there was no significant difference between participation period and oral function, individuals who had been participating for 3 years or longer did not demonstrate a negative relationship between age and oral wetness. Furthermore, they exhibited a weaker negative relationship between age and oral function (i.e. tongue pressure, ODK and RSST) when compared with individuals who had been participating for less than 3 years. Conclusions Our results suggest that long-term participation in community salon exercise programs may suppress the deterioration of oral function in older people. Further study will be necessary to clarify the significant correlation between oral function and community-based social activities such as oral exercise.

Objective The objective of this study was to clarify differences in bacterial accumulation between gastrointestinal cancer patients who underwent severely invasive surgery and those who underwent minimally invasive surgery.Material and Methods We performed a preliminary investigation of gastrointestinal cancer patients who were treated at the Department of Surgery, Takarazuka Municipal Hospital, from 2015 to 2017 (n=71; 42 laparoscopic surgery, 29 open surgery) to determine changes in bacterial numbers at different sites of the oral cavity (tongue dorsum, gingiva of upper anterior teeth, palatoglossal arch), as well as mouth dryness and tongue coating indices. Specifically, patients received professional tooth cleaning (PTC), scaling, tongue cleaning, and self-care instruction regarding tooth brushing from a dental hygienist a day before the operation. Professional oral health care was also performed by a dental hygienist two and seven days after surgery. Oral bacteria numbers were determined using a bacterial counter with a dielectrophoretic impedance measurement method.Results The number of bacteria at all three examined sites were significantly higher in the open surgery group when compared to the laparoscopic surgery group on the second postoperative day. Relevantly, bacterial count in samples from the gingiva of the upper anterior teeth remained greater seven days after the operation in patients who underwent open surgery. Furthermore, the dry mouth index level was higher in the open surgery group when compared to the laparoscopic surgery group on postoperative days 2 and 7.Conclusions Even with regular oral health care, bacterial numbers remained high in the upper incisor tooth gingiva in gastrointestinal cancer patients who received open surgery. Additional procedures are likely needed to effectively reduce the number of bacteria in the gingival area associated with the upper anterior teeth.

BackgroundThe effectiveness of an oral hygiene program for children living in a children’s home has been reported. However, to the best of our knowledge, no studies have evaluated the possible effects of self-checking of oral health among children residing in a children’s home. The objective of this study was to examine if self-checking using plaque disclosing solution improves oral hygiene in schoolchildren living in a children’s home.MethodsWe enrolled nine schoolchildren (six girls) without untreated decayed teeth living in a children’s home in Japan. This preliminary study was designed as a 5-month program comprising group and individual instructions and self-checking using plaque disclosing solution. Paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used for statistical analysis to evaluate the change of Plaque Control Record (PCR) and Patient Hygiene Performance (PHP).ResultsThe mean PCR significantly decreased to 38.7% after 3 months of self-checking using disclosing solution compared with that before self-checking (i.e., at 1 month) (60.7%) (P < 0.01). PHP score significantly decreased to 1.4 at 4 months compared with that at baseline (2.8) and at 1 month (2.7) (P = 0.012 and P = 0.018). Improvement of oral hygiene status was evaluated according to the ratio of PCR at 4 months to that at 1 month. The average improvement ratio was 0.4 ± 0.35 (range: 0.0–1.0). Significant correlation was not found between improvement rate and school grade (r = 0.63, P = 0.070).ConclusionsOur results suggest that self-checking with disclosing solution may be effective in improving oral hygiene among schoolchildren at a children’s home.

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