Current status of oral hypofunction in older adults: A scoping review
AI Summary
Research on oral hypofunction is geographically narrow, predominantly East Asian, limiting global generalisability.
Diagnostic approaches lack uniformity; most studies used variations of the Japanese seven-item checklist, producing prevalence estimates from 14.3% to 95.5%.
Oral hypofunction associates with malnutrition, physical frailty, cognitive impairment and advanced age; interventions focus on oral exercises and hygiene, yet longitudinal evidence is insufficient.
J Dent. 2026 Nov 14:107172. doi: 10.1016/j.jdent.2026.107172. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Oral hypofunction is classified as an intermediate stage between oral frailty and oral dysfunction, defined by seven established criteria. This scoping review aimed to consolidate globsal evidence on oral hypofunction in older adults by assessing its prevalence, elucidating associated risk factors and health outcomes, and summarizing current interventions and their reported outcomes.
DATA AND SOURCES/STUDY SELECTION: This review utilized the Joanna Briggs Institute Population-Concept-Context framework and adhered to PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Literature search across four databases covered studies published from 2000 to May 2026. Title, abstract, and full-text screening were performed independently by two reviewers.
RESULTS: Initial database searching retrieved 11378 records; manual screening identified 9 additional studies. Deduplication left 6860, from which 15 were included after full-text screening. Included studies were primarily in East Asia (93.3%). Most were cross-sectional (60.0%), and all but one study diagnosed oral hypofunction using variations of the Japanese Society of Gerodontology seven-item checklist (93.3%). Reported prevalence ranged from 14.3% to 95.5%. Key associated risk factors or health outcomes were malnutrition, physical frailty, cognitive impairment, and advanced age. Most interventions involved oral exercises and proper oral hygiene.
CONCLUSIONS: This review underscores the narrow geographic scope of oral hypofunction research and a lack of uniformity in its diagnosis. It also illustrates substantial variance in reported prevalences and insufficient longitudinal evidence, hindering the elucidation of causal relationships with associated factors.
CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Standardized diagnostic criteria and longitudinal research are essential to improve early screening, targeted clinical interventions, and oral functional management in aging populations.
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