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Effects of smartphone app-based oral muscle strength training on functional improvement in the elderly

  • Journal of Korean society of Dental Hygiene
  • Abbr : J Korean Soc Dent Hyg
  • 2024, 24(3), pp.209-218
  • DOI : 10.13065/jksdh.20240302
  • Publisher : Korean Society of Dental Hygiene
  • Research Area : Medicine and Pharmacy > Dentistry
  • Received : May 6, 2024
  • Accepted : May 22, 2024
  • Published : June 30, 2024

Lee Kyeong-Hee 1 Choi Yoon-Young 1 Jung Eun-Seo 1 Moon Hyun-Young 2 Yoon Mi-Sook 1 Lee Kyeong-Jin 1

1Department of Dental Hygiene, Shinhan University
2St. Hugh Hospital, Speech Therapy Lab

Accredited

ABSTRACT

Objectives: This study aimed to develop educational content for a smartphone app on oral muscle training and examine its effects on the elderly population. Methods: A total of twelve training sessions were delivered through the smartphone app over a six-week period, from late August to early October 2023. Each session lasted approximately 60 minutes. Participants were followed up after the program. Results: The experimental group showed significant improvements in oral health before and after using the smartphone app. These improvements included decreased dental plaque (p<0.05) by 0.69 units, decreased gingivitis (p<0.001) by 0.99 units, decreased tongue plaque (p<0.01) by 1.11 units, increased salivary secretion rate (p<0.001) by 0.73 units, increased hard palate strength (p<0.001) by 5.25 units, and increased soft palate strength (p<0.01) by 6.82 units. Compared to the control group, the experimental group showed significant improvements in dental plaque (p<0.001), gingivitis (p<0.001), and tongue coating (p<0.01). Conclusions: This study found that oral muscle strengthening training using the smartphone app effectively improved oral health in the elderly. The developed app content has the potential to be a valuable tool for promoting oral health in this population within their daily routines. However, further efforts are needed to ensure clear communication and effective utilization of the training program through user training or educational materials.

Citation status

* References for papers published after 2023 are currently being built.