The relationship between the number of foods suitable for intake and comprehensively assessed oral function: A cross-sectional study

Background With a globally aging population, the relationship between oral function and the risk of long-term care is attracting attention. One method for the subjective assessment of oral function is the use of a questionnaire on the number of foods suitable for intake. Although it is possible that objective oral functions, such as tongue pressure and maximum occlusal force, are associated with the number of foods suitable for intake, this relationship has yet to be investigated. This study aimed to clarify the association between overall oral function and the number of foods suitable for intake. Methods Patients aged 65 years or older were recruited from an outpatient dental clinic at Tokyo Medical and Dental University. The number of foods that they could consume was assessed using the food acceptance score. Seven oral function parameters, as defined by the Japanese Society of Gerodontology, were also measured. Age, sex, the number of functional teeth, geriatric depression, cognitive function, and oral health-related quality of life were assessed. Variables for which normality was rejected were transformed into tertiles. Multiple regression analysis was performed with the food acceptance score as the objective variable, and each oral function and other items as explanatory variables. Results This study included 201 participants (87 men, 114 women). Multiple regression analysis revealed that the number of functional teeth, geriatric depression, oral-related quality of life, masticatory function, tongue pressure, and swallowing function were significantly associated with food acceptance scores. Conclusions This study showed that the number of foods suitable for intake was independently associated with tongue pressure, masticatory function, swallowing function, the number of functional teeth, geriatric depression, and oral-related quality of life.