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The effects of professional oral health care on patients in the subacute stage of emergent neurosurgical disorders
Author(s) -
Mori Chisato,
Hakuta Chiyoko,
Endo Keiko,
Nariai Tadashi,
Ueno Masayuki,
Shinada Kayoko,
Kawaguchi Yoko
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
special care in dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.328
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1754-4505
pISSN - 0275-1879
DOI - 10.1111/j.1754-4505.2012.00278.x
Subject(s) - medicine , oral hygiene , oral health , intervention (counseling) , oral health care , physical therapy , dentistry , nursing
This study evaluated the effectiveness of professional oral health care (POHC) on patients who were in the subacute stage of neurosurgical disorders. Forty subjects (26 male, 14 female) with acute cerebrovascular disorders or neurotrauma were randomly divided into two groups. The intervention group (n = 21) received POHC treatment by dental hygienists, and the control group (n = 19) did not. To evaluate the change in oral health status of the subjects, an oral examination was carried out at baseline and four weeks later. For the subjects in the intervention group, periodontal condition, oral hygiene status, and oral function improved statistically significantly. The detection rate for methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was statistically significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group. These results suggest that POHC performed by dental hygienists in collaboration with nurses plays an important role in the promotion not only of oral health but also of general health.