Long‐term effect of an oral healthcare programme on oral hygiene in a nursing home

Abstract

This article reports on the long-term effect of an oral healthcare programme aimed at improving and maintaining the oral hygiene of elderly residents in a nursing home. The method was based on (i) motivation and oral-care training of the nursing staff, (ii) production of picture-based oral-care procedure cards, (iii) distribution of adequate oral-care equipment, (iv) practical implementation of new routines, and (v) assessment of results attained. The level of oral hygiene in the nursing home was assessed using the mucosal-plaque score (MPS) index. Overall evaluation was made before the start of the study, after 3 months, and eventually after 6 yr. Before implementation of the oral healthcare programme, 36% of the residents had an acceptable score. Six years later, the proportion was 70%. The evaluation showed that the introduction of such an oral healthcare programme significantly improved the oral hygiene of the residents on a long-term basis. However, 30% of the residents did not achieve an acceptable score because they were very ill or dying, aggressive or wanted to brush their teeth themselves.

Promotion of oral health by community nurses

“…This finding is consistent with previous studies, where education of nurses in oral health and periodontal disease has generally remained a low priority in training programmes (Samson et al, 2009).…”

Effect of oral healthcare education on knowledge, attitude and skills of care home nurses: a systematic literature review

“…The aim of the quasi‐experimental nonrandomized study by Samson et al. was to register the long‐term effect of an oral healthcare education programme for nurses in care homes aimed at improving and maintaining the oral health of the residents. The programme, presented by dentists, dental hygienists and competent nurses, included motivation training and a 4‐hour theoretical and practical course.…”

The Impact of Oral Health on Taste Ability in Acutely Hospitalized Elderly

“…Scores between 2 and 4 describe good or acceptable oral hygiene. MPS≥5 reflects un-acceptable/poor oral hygiene, and this score has been selected by experienced clinicians in previous studies according to the severity of the recorded oral hygiene status [27], [28], [31]. A criteria catalog with photos, showing examples of all the various conditions according to the graded scores, was presented for visual calibration [34].…”