The Effect of Oral Health Care Interventions on Oral Self Care Practices of the Institutionalized Older Adults

Abstract

One of the major criteria of successful aging is maintaining a natural, healthy, functional dentition throughout life. However, the oral health of older adults is far from the optimal. Treatment needs are high due to edentulism, caries and periodontal diseases resulting in impaired oral functions. The etiology of many dental diseases is influenced by oral self care practices and lifestyle factors. Therefore; professionally organized oral health self-care practices are very important for institutionalized older adults. Objective: Determine the effect of oral health care interventions on oral health self care practices of ‎institutionalized older adults. Settings: Dar El-Amal in Mansoura city, Ras El bar elderly ‎home in Ras El bar city, Dar El-Walaa in meet khamr ‎city and Dar El saada in Tanta city. Subjects: 70 institutionalized older adults aged 60 years and above have no artificial teeth, have normal cognitive and have no depression. Tools: Five tools were used: Older Adults Socio Demographic and Clinical Data Structured Interview Schedule, the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) Scale, the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) Short Form, Older Adults' Knowledge Related to Oral Health Structured Interview Schedule, and Older Adult's Oral Self Care Practices. Results: positive improvement in the level of oral self care practices of subjects in the study group after implementation of the study intervention with a statistically significant difference between the two groups. A higher mean score of oral self care practices of subjects in the study group was found in males than females, in those with higher education than those with lower education and in those with higher monthly income than those with lower monthly income. Conclusion: Improved oral health knowledge and oral self care practices among the majority of subjects in the study group. A higher mean score of oral self care practices was found in males than in females, in those with higher education and in those with higher monthly income. A positive direct relationship was found between the oral health knowledge of subjects in the study group and their oral self-care practices. Recommendations: All institutionalized older adults should be follow periodic dental examination regularly with daily oral self care practices.