Evaluation and Acceptance of an Electric Toothbrush Designed for Dependent Patients.

Virginia Prendergast,Kristina M Chapple

doi:10.7759/cureus.15372

Abstract

Introduction: A key barrier to standardizing evidence-based oral health protocols for highly dependent patients is the lack of validated and accepted oral health products designed specifically for use by caregivers. This study compared preferences by users of a novel electric toothbrush and a manual toothbrush in a health care setting.Methods: We prospectively enrolled health care providers as volunteers. Volunteer brushers completed simulated tooth brushing sessions of mock-intubated and non-intubated volunteer brushees with both toothbrushes. Volunteers rated different domains of toothbrush preference in an anonymous, optional survey.Results: A total of 133 health care providers volunteered (123 brushers [providers brushing teeth] and 10 brushees [those having their teeth brushed]). The novel electric toothbrush received significantly higher positive ratings than the standard hospital-issue manual toothbrush in all domains that we surveyed: ease of use, thoroughness, safety, shape and size of the brush head, overall cleanliness, time requirements, and efficiency (p<0.001). Importantly, due to the integrated light and suction of this electric toothbrush, brushers completed more sessions without setting down the toothbrush with the electric toothbrush than with the manual toothbrush (75.4% vs 36.4%; p<0.001).Conclusions: Integrating a lighted electric brush with suction into the caregiver’s armamentarium as an evidence-based tool is warranted and should be evaluated in terms of patient outcomes.

Highlights

A key barrier to standardizing evidence-based oral health protocols for highly dependent patients is the lack of validated and accepted oral health products designed for use by caregivers
Evidence-based oral hygiene products embraced by caregivers need to be developed and deployed throughout hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and long-term care facilities to improve the fidelity to oral care protocols
We developed the evidence-based Barrow Oral Care Protocol to improve and standardize the oral health care provided at our institution

Summary

Introduction

A key barrier to standardizing evidence-based oral health protocols for highly dependent patients is the lack of validated and accepted oral health products designed for use by caregivers. Evidence-based oral hygiene products embraced by caregivers need to be developed and deployed throughout hospitals, rehabilitation centers, and long-term care facilities to improve the fidelity to oral care protocols. Several surveys of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses provide evidence of the growing interest in oral health care of hospitalized patients. The authors concluded that evidence-based oral health care was not always provided, and further education was required. Authors of surveys in the United States and Sweden concluded that the best practices are not always known or followed, and further research and training are needed [2,3,4]

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