[Click! Health] "Maintaining Oral Health Leads to Overall Body Health"

The mouth is the starting point of the nutritional supply stage, where food is ingested and digested. If food is not properly chewed with strong teeth and swallowed, problems can arise in the supply of proteins or trace elements, affecting the entire body. Therefore, poor oral health is called a trigger for 'frailty.' To enjoy a healthy old age, it is essential to properly maintain oral health above all else.

Professor Kang Kyung-ri of the Department of Periodontology at Kangdong Kyunghee University Hospital is seeing a patient.
[Photo by Kangdong Kyunghee University Hospital]

Beyond simple nutrient intake, oral health also affects quality of life, social activities, and cognitive function, making it important for preventing frailty and slowing its progression. Frailty is diagnosed when three or more of the following five criteria are met: ▲unintentional weight loss ▲self-reported exhaustion ▲muscle weakness ▲reduced walking speed ▲decreased physical activity. If one or two criteria are met, it is defined as pre-frailty, and if none are met, the individual is considered healthy.

In particular, oral hypofunction refers to the presence of three or more of the seven symptoms of oral frailty: poor oral hygiene, dry mouth, decreased occlusal force, reduced motor function of the tongue and lips, decreased tongue pressure, reduced masticatory ability, and impaired swallowing function. Professor Kang Kyung-ri of the Department of Periodontology at Kangdong Kyung Hee University Hospital explained, "A study in Japan that followed 2,011 elderly people aged 65 and older for 3 years and 9 months found that those diagnosed with oral frailty had 2.4 times higher rates of systemic frailty, 2.2 times higher sarcopenia, 2.3 times higher incidence of disability, and 2.2 times higher mortality compared to healthy elderly individuals." She added, "Many other studies also commonly point out that poor oral health is an early indicator signaling the onset of systemic frailty."

Thus, oral frailty appears in the pre-stage of systemic frailty and acts as a warning light indicating a risk of imminent frailty. Recently, a joint expert consensus on 'domestic diagnostic criteria and treatment for oral frailty' was adopted and announced to raise awareness about oral health in the elderly. Professor Kang emphasized, "Not only dentists but all citizens should pay more attention to oral health and strive for better health." She urged, "For those aged 65 and older, it is necessary to visit the dentist regularly for oral health check-ups even if there is no tooth pain."