Aging and oral motor function: evidence for altered performance among older persons.

A physical examination procedure was used to evaluate oral motor functions in a population of 257 community-dwelling males and females ranging in age from 23-88 yr. An increased prevalence of altered motor performance with age was found for parameters measuring lip posture and masticatory muscle function. Also, males, but not females, showed a higher prevalence of alterations in tongue function and in swallowing.