Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41872864›Full record

SynthesisBMC oral health2026

Oral health care interventions on objective indicators of oral frailty in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Yuru Luo, Yaowaluk Ngoenwiwatkul, Yang Yadi, Surintorn Kalampakorn

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMC oral health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Yuru LuoDepartment of Public Health Nursing, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Yaowaluk NgoenwiwatkulDepartment of Community Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Yang YadiSchool of Nursing, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China.
Surintorn KalampakornDepartment of Public Health Nursing, Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. surintorn.kal@mahidol.ac.th.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOral frailty is a significant risk factor for systemic frailty and poor health outcomes in older adults. While oral health care interventions may mitigate this decline, the evidence remains fragmented. This study evaluates the effectiveness of oral health care interventions in improving oral frailty indicators among older adults.

methodsWe searched PubMed, Embase, CIHNAL, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus for randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies assessing oral health care interventions in older adults aged ≥ 60 years. Outcomes included oral frailty indicators such as tongue pressure, chewing ability, swallowing ability, and dry mouth. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager software (version 5.4) with random-effects models. Statistical heterogeneity was assessed using the I² statistic and the χ² test. The systematic review was registered on PROSPERO (CRD420251067147).

results18 studies (n = 1133) were included. Interventions statistically significantly improved tongue pressure (SMD = 0.54, P = 0.004), chewing ability (bite force: SMD = 0.40, P = 0.04, masticatory performance: SMD = 0.61, P = 0.03), swallowing ability (objective swallowing physiology: SMD = 0.51, P = 0.003), and dry mouth (MD = 0.13, P < 0.001). Subgroup analyses indicated differential effects based on intervention type and duration.

conclusionOral health care interventions, particularly oral exercises, may effectively improve oral frailty indicators in older adults. In clinical practice, the most evidence-based interventions should be prioritized and tailored to individual responses.

Indexed as

Frail ElderlyFrailtyOral HealthAgedDeglutitionHumansMasticationTongueMeta-analysisOlder adultsOral exerciseOral frailtyOral health

Identifiers

PMID41872864
PMCPMC13126872

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.