A Study of Long-Term Care Prevention among Elderly Island and Mountain Residents in Japan:The Relationship Between Dental Health and Physical Mobility
Keiko Hiraoka＊ , Tomoko Isoda＊ , Kazuma Itou＊ ,
Shinsuke Matuo＊ , Takako Hiraoka＊＊
　In order to prevent long-term care problems among the elderly, it is essential to maintain their dental health and physical mobility. In this study, the present status of dental health and physical
mobility and the relationship between these two among 81 elderly people living on Japanese islands and in environments with steep slopes where access to dental clinics and exercise facilities is lacking
were examined.
　This study found that many elderly integrated exercise in their daily lives in order to maintain good health, but the average physical mobility score revealed 2.8 out of 5, lower than the average
score among all elderly in the Japanese population. In regard to the dental health, only 25.9% had 20 or more of their teeth and more than half of them had problems including bleeding or pain.
It was found that those who had fewer teeth and more dental problems tended to score relatively lower in physical mobility. Most all of the elderly in this study, however, perceived themselves as
healthy even if they did not have any of their own teeth left and had dental problems.