The Effects of Technological Oral Health Management

The Effects of Technological Oral Health Management on Improving Oral Health, Eating Ability, Nutritional Status, and Physical Function of the Elderly in the Community After Wearing Removable Dentures: An Example of the Agricultural County

The goal of interventional study is to for the elderly who have poor chewing and eating ability after installing removable dentures through the intervention of oral mastication training and texture and diet education, the effects on oral health, eating ability, nutrition, and physical function changes are confirmed in Elderly individuals residing in Chiayi County who are 65 years of age or older, capable of self-care, conscious, and able to communicate in Mandarin and Taiwanese. The main question it aims to answer is:

•Are there significant benefits to oral health, eating ability, nutrition, and physical function through the intervention of oral mastication training and texture and diet education? Researchers will compare changes in oral health, eating ability, nutrition, and physical functioning results to see if oral mastication training is effective.

Participants will:

• Experimental group: oral mastication training and texture and diet education.
• Control group: only texture and diet education.
• Cases were tracked in month 1 and will be tracked again in month 6.

Expected Results：

1. To establish an oral mastication training and texture and diet education program for the elderly who have poor chewing and eating ability after dentures are installed.
2. Provide teaching programs tailored to the evidence-based and individualized needs of the elderly.
3. Through the implementation of evidence-based oral mastication training and a texture and diet education program, the experimental group and the control group are expected to show variations in oral health, eating ability, nutrition, and physical function over time.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. residing in Chiayi County who are 65 years of age or older
2. capable of self-care, conscious
3. able to communicate in Mandarin and Taiwanese.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. non-residents of Chiayi County
2. unable to take care of themselves or are unconscious
3. demented or mentally challenged and are unable to cooperate