The Effectiveness of Auricular Acupuncture on Improving Secretion of Saliva Among Institutional Older Population

The elderly living in long-term institutions are mostly limited to physical dysfunction and highly dependence. In addition, the chronic diseases are affected by taking a variety of drugs, which may easily lead to dry mouth. Thus, providing oral health to increase secretion of saliva is high recommended to those older population. The study is used to examine the effect of auricular acupuncture on improving oral health in older population. The eligible participants are random assign to experimental group receiving auricular acupuncture and control group having ineffective auricular acupuncture. Outcome measures include demographic variables, general health status and secretion of saliva, such as: Subjective dry mouth condition and objective mouth condition. Generalized linear model will be used to examine the effect of auricular acupuncture on improving oral health. By identifying the effectiveness of auricular acupuncture can increase salivary secretion; suitable care can be suggested to improve oral health in older population living in long-term institutions.

Inclusion criteria

• Residents in long-term institutions aged over 65 years old
• Living in long-term institutions at least six months and above
• Having normal cognitive functions with Mini-Mental State Examination scores more than 25 scores.

Exclusion criteria

• The resident whose acupuncture point has Trauma, eczema or ulcer.
• Incapable of salivary secretion caused by disease,sush as radiation-induced xerostomia among patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Sjogren's Syndrome,acute sialadenitis,chronic recurrent sialadenitis,viral salivary gland infection,salivary gland stones.