Effect of Oral Health Care Program on Oral Health Status of Elderly People Living in Nursing Homes: a Quasi-experimental Study

BACKGROUND: Oral health of elderly people plays a major role in their overall health and quality of life, and is an integral part of personal care. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of implementing the oral health care program (OHCP) on oral health status of elderly people resident in nursing homes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This quasi-experimental study was carried out using a pretest-posttest design on 101 elderly people (46 in the intervention group and 55 in the control group) resident in two randomly selected nursing homes in Mashhad, Iran. In the intervention group, the OHCP was carried out by caregivers for 8 weeks. The control group received routine care. Using the oral health assessment tool, the oral health status of elderly people was assessed in both groups at three times; onset of the study, 4th, and 8th week after the start of the study. RESULTS: The oral health status of the elderly people in both groups was not statistically significantly different at baseline, but it changed significantly at the 4(th), and 8(th) weeks (p<.001). CONCLUSION: The implementation of the OHCP for elderly people resident in nursing homes may improve their oral health status after 4 weeks. It is recommended that OHCP be included in care plans of all nursing homes to improve the elderly people’s oral health status.