Oral health Oral Health Oral health
Conditions
Interventions
The intervention consisted of supervised implementation of the guideline and derived protocols. Supervision was conducted by an external implementation supervisor (researcher). In the intervention gro
Sponsors
De Open Ankh Foundation (Netherlands)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Inclusion criteria
Inclusion criteria: Institutions of long-term care: 1. Providing long-term care to 120 to 150 residents 2. Having wards with mainly somatic and psycho-geriatric residents, with 20 residents minimally 3. Netherlands: moderately or highly care dependent; Belgium: also providing care for minor dependent residents 4. Residents aged 70 - 100 years, men and women
Exclusion criteria
Exclusion criteria: An institution will not be eligible for inclusion if any of the following exclusion criteria is applicable: 1. A guideline or protocol for oral health care is already in function 2. Extra education courses on oral health care for the executive care providers had been held during the last 24 months Individuals: 1. Residents in coma 2. Terminally ill. Terminally ill is defined as death expected within six months. 3. In day-care or in short-term residency
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| An important outcome variable of the intervention is the oral hygiene score of the residents, assessing scores of denture and dental plaque. Denture plaque will be scored using Methylene Blue® disclosing solution according to Augsburger and Elahi (score range = 0 to 4). Dental plaque will be scored using the validated plaque index described by Silness and Löe (score range = 0 to 3). The assessment will be performed at a subset of the 6 so-called 'Ramfjörd teeth'. In absence of one of these teeth, the corresponding distal neighbour tooth will be assessed. Examiners are dentists and master dental students practically educated and calibrated on the diagnostic criteria. Prior to the study, 16 residents will be examined for determining the intra- and inter-examiners? reliability. Detailed information on reliability will be determined comparing each examiner?s score with the scores of a golden standard. Measured in January - June 2009 and again in August 2008 - January 2010. Focus group interviews were done only in the intervention arm, over a period of 6 months after the initial oral health care training session. Semi-structured interviews have been done within 3 months after the intervention period of 6 months (January 2010 - March 2010). | — |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame |
|---|---|
| The process evaluation involves assessing the extent to which the intervention program is performed according to protocols, the nature of the oral care recommendations made to the participants, compliance with these recommendations, care providers judgements about the intervention program and oral care recommendations. Data on these topics will be collected using focus-groups. Semi-structured interviews will be held with the participating care providers and nursing home physicians during the intervention period in order to record their experiences and opinions on the guideline "Oral health care in institutions providing long-term care to elderly people" and derived protocols. | — |
Countries
Belgium, Netherlands
Outcome results
None listed