The Chewing Efficiency in Elderly People Based on Their Cognitive Ability

Dear Colleagues,

The transition to an aging society is one of international issues that has to be discussed from multi-directional perspectives including medical, mental and social framework under international cooperation and management. The number of people with dementia, a substantial health concern for rapidly aging society, is expected double around the world over the next 20 years. Physical frailty and dementia are the major causes of severe disability and requires huge social costs. Specialists in gerontology and geriatric dentistry should understand the physiology, psychology, and an interaction mechanism between the general hypofunctions, such as physical frailty, cognitive impairment and oral function.

There is growing evidence suggesting that oral health is a crucial factor in maintaining the physical or mental functions in the elderly people. Plausible mechanisms have been suggested: periodontitis as systemic inflammation, reduced mastication as induced sensory stimulation to the brain and poor nutritional intake as physical disability.

However, previous researches neither presented concrete data nor relevant variables with respect to the relationship between the oral function and the frailty in the elderly people.  

Therefore, potentially modifiable risk factors that are mutually related, including education levels, vascular risk factors, mental status, dietary intakes, lifestyle, etc., should be investigated to prevent or delay the frailty in physical and psychological functions. 

In this special issue, we invite colleagues who are passionate about the future of dentistry.

This issue may include (or related to) the keyword listed below:

Mastication performance;

Oral function and physical performance;

Mental function and oral health;

Dental health approaches in geriatric dentistry;

Oral rehabilitation and quality of life in the old adults;

Education of the care-provider for the elderly;

Prof. Dr. Bock-Young Jung
Prof. Dr. Nan-Sim Pang
Dr. Hoi-in Jung
Guest Editors

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• mastication
• oral function
• geriatric dentistry
• oral rehabilitation
• old adults