Optical detection of oral biofilm in hospitalized geriatric patients using quantitative light-induced fluorescence technology

Abstract

Detection and removal of pathological oral biofilm are essential in hospitalized geriatric patients as the biofilm can lead to lung infection. However, as elderly patients often have cognitive and physical impairments, general oral examination is complicated and detection of pathological biofilms is challenging. Quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) technology, which is currently actively used to detect bacterial structures in the oral cavity, is used to detect dental biofilm and to identify various oral bacterial infections. We confirmed the applicability of QLF technology to oral hygiene assessment and evaluation of hospitalized geriatric patients using the QLF technology to detect and remove the pathological oral biofilm in a hospitalized geriatric patient.The oral biofilm attached to the oral mucosa was difficult to observe with the naked eye. However, it was detected with red fluorescence on QLF images, which helped us observe the to detect pathological oral biofilm and evaluate the effectiveness of oral hygiene care (OHC). After OHC, the strong red fluorescence expressed in the oral mucosa was no longer observed. This change in the clinical aspect of red fluorescence suggests that QLF can be used to detect pathological oral biofilm accumulated on the oral mucous membrane and evaluate the effectiveness of OHC in hospitalized patients with extremely poor oral hygiene.