Parisius K G, Verhoeff M C, Lobbezoo F et al. Towards an operational definition of oral frailty: A e-Delphi study. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2023; DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2023.105181.
Linked to psychological or physical frailty?
The risk of oral health problems increases with age. 'Age-related functional decline of the oro-facial structures' is termed oral frailty. There is currently limited agreement among experts on what the key components of oral frailty are. This e-Delphi study aimed to establish consensus on the key components of oral frailty, in order to develop an operational definition.
Fifty-one components were reviewed, 17 of which were sourced from previous literature and 34 from panel suggestions. Eight items in four categories were finally agreed upon:
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1.
Mastication - difficulty eating tough or hard foods; an inability to chew all types of food
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Swallowing - decreased ability to swallow solid foods and liquids; poor swallowing function
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3.
Oral motor skill - impaired tongue movement; speech or phonatory disorders
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4.
Salivation - hyposalivation; xerostomia.
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Hellyer, P. Oral frailty. Br Dent J 235, 513 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-023-6399-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-023-6399-z