title: Effectiveness of an oral health educational program on community-dwelling older people with xerostomia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the changes in oral health and function through an oral health educational program for the independent older people with xerostomia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community-dwelling older people with xerostomia aged over 65 years who participated in a preliminary comprehensive health survey in 2011 were recruited for the educational program. A total of 47 participants were randomly assigned into two groups, the intervention group (n = 26) and the control group (n = 21). The intervention group attended a 90-min oral health education program every 2 weeks for 3 months. The program consisted of oral hygiene instruction, facial and tongue muscle exercise, and salivary gland massage. The control group was provided only general information about oral health. The assessments of oral function, such as oral diadochokinesis of articulation, swallowing, taste threshold and salivary flow rate, were carried out before and after 3 months with or without intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 38 participants (21 of intervention group and 17 of control group) completed the study protocol. In the intervention group, resting salivation significantly improved after the program. The second and third cumulated Repetitive Saliva Swallowing Test times significantly improved in the intervention group. The threshold for bitterness significantly lowered in the intervention group, whereas the sour threshold significantly heightened in the control group after 3 months (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study suggests that the educational program targeting oral function improvement is effective among the independent older population.
authors.affiliation: Behavioral Dentistry, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohara
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kono
authors.forename: Hirohiko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hirano
authors.forename: Hideyo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mataki
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003679:Deglutition / Q000502:physiology; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005260:Female; D006267:Health Education, Dental; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008405:Massage; D008409:Mastication / Q000502:physiology; D009909:Oral Health / Q000193:education*; D009910:Oral Hygiene / Q000193:education; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012472:Salivation / Q000502:physiology; D013652:Taste Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*
keywords: exercise; oral function; salivary secretion; xerostomia