Influence of Aging and Denture Use on Liquid Swallowing in Healthy Dentulous and Edentulous Older People

Authors: Yoshikawa, Mineka; Yoshida, Mitsuyoshi; Nagasaki, Toshikazu; Tanimoto, Keiji; Tsuga, Kazuhiro; Akagawa, Yasumasa

Source: Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Volume 54, Number 3, March 2006 , pp. 444-449(6)

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

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Abstract:

OBJECTIVES:

To clarify the influence of aging and denture use on swallowing in healthy edentulous people aged 75 and older. DESIGN:

A cross-sectional research design was used with participants from Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima University, and Hiroshima City. SETTING:

Participants were examined in Hiroshima University Hospital, Hiroshima, Japan. PARTICIPANTS:

Thirteen edentulous elderly volunteers (7 male, 6 female; aged 75–86, mean age 81.2) and 19 dentulous elderly volunteers (12 male, 7 female; aged 80–87, mean age 81.2) as a control group participated in this study. Participants reported no clinical symptoms relating to dysphagia, neurological impairments, or degenerative diseases. MEASUREMENTS:

Participants were asked to swallow a 10-mL barium sulfate solution three times. Edentulous older people were asked to swallow the solution while wearing dentures and with dentures removed. Functional swallowing was recorded on cine-film with a digital subtraction angiography system. Lateral cinefluorography images were obtained from seated subjects. Using a cine-projector, visual images were evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively. RESULTS:

No participants exhibited aspiration. The occurrence of laryngeal penetration in the edentulous older people not wearing dentures was the only significant difference (P<.05). CONCLUSION:

Only laryngeal penetration differed significantly between edentulous older people not wearing their dentures and dentulous older people.

Keywords: dentulous older people; edentulous older people

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-5415.2005.00619.x

Affiliations: 1: Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan

Publication date: 2006-03-01