Effects of Oral Care Aides on Oral Health in Caretakers

Objectives: To measure the effect of oral care aides on oral health in caretakers at a special facility. Methods: Baseline oral health measurements on 36 dependent caretakers at a special facility were made before the introduction of oral care aides, recruited from the nursing staff, and follow up measurements were taken after one and two years respectively. An oral health check record was used together with a food record and an oral bacterial risk categorisation was made by plaque samples. After the project period, individual interviews were held with the oral care aides and the dental hygienists that were involved in the project. Results: When we looked at the caretakers from an oral bacterial risk categorisation perspective, most of the high risk caretakers either passed away or were mainly placed in lower risk groups. These changes were visible already after one year of the project period. Improvements in oral health and oral hygiene help were not visible until the second year of the project had passed. This was confirmed by the analysis of the individual interviews that pointed to a rather long motivation period until oral care changes became visible for the eye. Once established, the system with oral care aides was well functioning. Conclusion: Oral care aides seem to have a good outcome concerning oral health in caretakers at a special facility, which seems to be best viewed by changes in the oral bacterial flora.