Interventions for Oral Frailty and Related Oral Functional Decline in Older Adults: A Systematic Review.
Shijia Du, Xiaoke Li, Yuanxun Liu et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review evaluated non-pharmacological interventions for oral frailty in older adults aged 65 and above, analyzing 23 studies with 2,412 participants. The findings indicated that oral exercise alone consistently improved oral motor performance, while multicomponent programs showed favorable trends in overall oral health. The evidence certainty was rated as very low to low.
Key findings
- Oral exercise alone consistently improved oral motor performance, such as tongue pressure.
- Adding education or self-management improved salivary-related outcomes and xerostomia symptoms.
- Multicomponent programs suggested favorable trends in composite oral health status.
Why it matters
Understanding the effectiveness of non-pharmacological interventions for oral frailty is crucial, as it can help improve oral health outcomes in older adults, potentially reducing systemic frailty and associated adverse effects.
What to keep in mind
The overall certainty of evidence was very low to low due to heterogeneity in intervention design and reporting.