IADR Abstract Archives
Effectiveness of Oral Health Education Program for Women around Menopause
Objectives: Since our previous study demonstrated that acquiring specialized knowledge and skill for oral self-care is important to reduce oral health problems relevant to menopause, the purpose of this study was to implement and evaluate a program of oral health education for women around menopause.
Methods:
Sixty-one women aged 42-61 years voluntarily participated in this study, and 32 and 29 of them were assigned to intervention and control group, respectively. The intervention group underwent oral health education including lecture of oral function and practice of mouth cleaning, facial and tongue muscle stretches and salivary gland massage, and conducted self-care for 3 months. The control group was not given any education and kept usual self-care. Saliva test, oral examination and questionnaire survey were conducted before and after the program, and the effectiveness of intervention was evaluated.
Results:
Unstimulated salivary flow rate showed no significant change after 3 months’ program in both intervention and control groups. The salivary flow rate stimulated by mastication was significantly higher after intervention compared with before intervention, while no significant change was observed in the control group. Salivary α-amylase activity was significantly lowered after the program in the intervention group but not in the control group, suggesting that the stress level was lowered in the intervention group because α-amylase activity is recognized to be a stress marker in saliva. In both groups, the Community Periodontal Index (CPI) was significantly reduced after the program. However, the self-evaluation scores of General Oral Health Assessment Index were not changed by the program.
Conclusions: The results of saliva examination suggest that the oral health education program for women around menopause is effective for improvement of oral condition and probably mental condition. Further, CPI improvement in the control group suggests that even awareness of tooth cleaning may help to improve periodontal status.
Methods:
Sixty-one women aged 42-61 years voluntarily participated in this study, and 32 and 29 of them were assigned to intervention and control group, respectively. The intervention group underwent oral health education including lecture of oral function and practice of mouth cleaning, facial and tongue muscle stretches and salivary gland massage, and conducted self-care for 3 months. The control group was not given any education and kept usual self-care. Saliva test, oral examination and questionnaire survey were conducted before and after the program, and the effectiveness of intervention was evaluated.
Results:
Unstimulated salivary flow rate showed no significant change after 3 months’ program in both intervention and control groups. The salivary flow rate stimulated by mastication was significantly higher after intervention compared with before intervention, while no significant change was observed in the control group. Salivary α-amylase activity was significantly lowered after the program in the intervention group but not in the control group, suggesting that the stress level was lowered in the intervention group because α-amylase activity is recognized to be a stress marker in saliva. In both groups, the Community Periodontal Index (CPI) was significantly reduced after the program. However, the self-evaluation scores of General Oral Health Assessment Index were not changed by the program.
Conclusions: The results of saliva examination suggest that the oral health education program for women around menopause is effective for improvement of oral condition and probably mental condition. Further, CPI improvement in the control group suggests that even awareness of tooth cleaning may help to improve periodontal status.