The Effectiveness of Oral Exercise for Oral Function Rehabilitation in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND

Older adults are prone to oral function decline due to ageing, necessitating interventions for rehabilitation. Although oral exercises are widely recommended, systematic evidence supporting their effectiveness remains insufficient. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of oral exercise interventions for rehabilitating oral functions in older adults.

METHODS

This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. A comprehensive electronic search was performed in PubMed, Ovid Embase, Cochrane Library and CINAHL up to August 2022. Randomised controlled trials comparing oral exercise interventions with control conditions were included. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the Risk of Bias (ROB) 2.0 tool. A total of eight studies were included in the meta-analysis and pooled mean differences were estimated using a random-effects model.

RESULTS

Among 1007 identified studies, 19 were included in the qualitative synthesis and 8 in the meta-analysis. Interventions targeted masticatory, swallowing, pronunciation and salivary functions. Tongue exercises significantly improved swallowing function (MD = 7.06; 95% CI: 4.72-9.41; p < 0.01) and masticatory exercises enhanced masticatory function (MD = 37.77; 95% CI: 15.61-59.92; p < 0.001). However, lip exercises showed no significant effect on swallowing function (MD = 1.43; 95% CI: -0.11-2.98; p = 0.07).

CONCLUSIONS

Oral exercise interventions, particularly tongue and masticatory exercises, may improve oral function in older adults. These findings support the use of oral exercise as a practical intervention for dental hygienists and community-based oral health programmes.