Effects of Dental Treatments on the Recovery of Oral Function Associated With Dietary Intake in Subacute Stroke Patients: A Multi-Center Prospective Study

Background: Compromised oral function in patients with stroke hinders the recovery of oral food intake and increases complication risk. Objective: This study examined the effects of dental treatments on the recovery of oral function associated with dietary intake levels in patients with subacute stroke in convalescent rehabilitation units as a prospective multi-institutional study. Methods: A total of 237 patients with a recent history of stroke (median age: 75 years, median duration after onset: 26 days) admitted to a rehabilitation unit were assessed for oral function at two time points: within one week after admission (baseline) and before discharge (follow-up). Based on the Functional Oral Intake Scale (FOIS) at the baseline assessment, patients were categorised into the Dysphagia diet (DYS; FOIS ≤ 5) and Normal diet (NML; FOIS > 5) groups. Patients received dental treatments during their stay in addition to routine dysphagia rehabilitation. Differences in oral function between the groups and oral function changes from baseline to follow-up assessment were tested using paired t-tests. Results: At the baseline assessment, 108 patients (45.5%) received a regular diet, with 179 patients (75.5%) consuming a regular diet by follow-up. Dental treatments performed in 92.4% of all patients decreased the frequency of poorly fitting dentures from 63% to 7%. Maximum tongue pressure and lip-tongue motor function improved significantly in both subject groups (p < 0.02), and were significantly better in patients receiving a regular diet at follow-up assessment (p < 0.05). Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of integrating dental treatments into multidisciplinary stroke rehabilitation regimens to optimize dysphagia recovery outcomes.