In the ageing society, sarcopenia, in which muscle strength and motor function decline with age, has attracted attention, and many researchers have investigated different testing and treatment methods. 1-6 Aspiration resulting from reduced swallowing function is a problem in the elderly, and aspiration pneumonia significantly deteriorates the life prognosis and QOL. 7 These disorders associated with reduced swallowing function were dysphagia. As sarcopenia is involved in the onset of dysphagia, 8,9 the relationship between sarcopenia and dysphagia has attracted attention. AbstractBackground: Sarcopenia in the oral region, including the tongue, leads to declined swallowing function and dysphagia. Muscle mass and strength, and motor function in the oral region have not been examined together, and the relationship between generalised and oral sarcopenia remains unclear. Objective(s):The purpose of this study is to clarify the relationship between generalised sarcopenia and oral sarcopenia in the elderly in order to facilitate the establishment of a method for assessing oral sarcopenia. Methods:A total of 54 elderly persons participated in this study. We examined the skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), grip strength (GS) and walking speed (WS) as the index of generalised sarcopenia, and the cross-sectional area of the geniohyoid muscle (CSG), tongue pressure (TP) and oral diadochokinesis (ODK) as the index of oral sarcopenia. Results:We found a moderate correlation between CSG and SMI, a weak correlation between GS and TP, and a moderate correlation between WS and ODK. CSG, TP and ODK were significantly smaller in the sarcopenia group than in the non-sarcopenia group. By multiple regression analysis, SMI and TP were significantly associated with CSG. ODK, BMI and CSG were significantly associated with TP. WS and SMI were significantly associated with ODK.Conclusion: CSG, TP and ODK were confirmed as endpoints of oral sarcopenia. All endpoints of oral sarcopenia were influenced by those of generalised sarcopenia. K E Y W O R D Sgeniohyoid muscle, oral diadochokinesis, oral sarcopenia, sarcopenia, tongue pressure | 637 KOBUCHI et al.

It has been predicted that becoming a super-aged society is a serious problem worldwide. 1 Therefore, it is crucial for dentists to maintain oral function of elderly removable denture wearer, as ageing rate increases. It is particularly because healthy and normal oral function, such as mastication and swallowing properly and comfortably, is considered to be an important factor towards general and oral quality of life (QoL), 2,3 which, thus, could contribute to extension of healthy life expectancy.A frequent complaint removable denture wearers claim, which leads them to a dental consultation, is soreness in the alveolar mucosa. 4 In order to minimise risk of such soreness, there has been a lot of research investigating effect of external mechanical load on

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Patient: A 70-year-old woman presented with difficulty in mastication because of her unstable mandibular denture, as well as difficulty in speaking owing to a drop of her maxillary denture. Intraoral examination revealed severe ridge resorption in both her maxillary and mandibular bones. Piezography was used to fabricate new complete dentures, and consequently, her oral function improved. Discussion: Piezography enabled us to make complete dentures with artificial teeth positioned in harmony with the perioral muscles and tongue movements, as well as the functional shape of the denture base on the polished surface. This resulted in improvement of oral function. Conclusions: Patient satisfaction was achieved by using piezography to fabricate complete dentures for a patient with severe jaw crest resorption.

The production of new dentures imposes financial and physical burdens on elderly patients ; it is preferable for them to keep wearing their old dentures after remodeling and repair. In such denture cases, metal part welding technology may be a problem. Laser welding is frequently applied to the junction of dental cobalt-chromium alloy, considering the shortness of the welding time and narrowness of the heat-affected zone (HAZ). However, welding defects, such as cracks and