Earticle

초록

영어

The oral cavity serves as the first organ involved in food intake and digestion; therefore, oral health is closely linked to systemic health and quality of life. Particularly, in older adults, tooth loss, occlusal imbalance, and weakened masticatory muscles can impair masticatory function, potentially leading to various health issues, including malnutrition, sarcopenia, and cognitive decline. Maintaining masticatory function is thus essential for healthy aging. To date, most previous studies investigating the association between oral health and systemic health have primarily focused on oral diseases, with very few studies examining oral function. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the association between functional occlusal stability during mastication and functional mobility, as measured by the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, in older adults aged 65 years and older. This study included 187 adults aged 65 years or older (30 men and 157 women) who participated in the “Longitudinal Study on Daily Life of Older Adults through Smart Home Implementation” conducted at OO University between March 10 and October 13, 2025. The mean participant age was 74.79 ± 5.89 years. In this study, functional occlusal stability during mastication was assessed using the Global Index of Neuromuscular Balance (GI) measured with Teethan® (Teethan S.p.A., Italy), a system based on surface electromyography (sEMG). GI was measured three times, and the mean value of the three measurements was used for analysis. Functional mobility was evaluated using the TUG test. The test was performed twice, and the mean value was used for analysis. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the strength of the association between GI and TUG time. In the regression model adjusted for gender, age, osteoporosis, and rheumatoid arthritis, the group with high occlusal stability (GI ≥ 83) demonstrated significantly shorter TUG times compared to the control group (β = -0.166, p = 0.047). These findings suggest that oral function may potentially influence not only oral health but also systemic physical function.

저자

• Ha Yeong Kim [ Gachon University’s Integrated Support Foundation for Intelligent Home Care Project ]
• Gyeong Joo Jeong [ Gachon University’s Integrated Support Foundation for Intelligent Home Care Project ]
• Yea Jin Jo [ Gachon University’s Integrated Support Foundation for Intelligent Home Care Project ]
• Ji Woo Jung [ Gachon University’s Integrated Support Foundation for Intelligent Home Care Project ]
• Jun Seon Choi [ Department of Dental Hygiene, Gachon University, Incheon, Korea ]
• Eun Surk Yi [ 1Gachon University’s Integrated Support Foundation for Intelligent Home Care Project/Department of Exercise Rehabilitation, Gachon University, Incheon, Korea ] Corresponding Author

참고문헌

발행기관

간행물

표지보기 관심저널 등록

• 간행물명

  한국운동재활학회 학술대회

• 간기

  부정기

• 수록기간

  2011~2026

• 십진분류

  KDC 517 DDC 613