Effects of professional oral health care on elderly: randomized trial

Objective To better understand the role of the professional oral health care for elderly in improving geriatric oral health, the effects of short‐term professional oral health care (once per week for 1 month) on oral microbiological parameters were assessed. Methods Parallel, open‐labelled, randomize‐controlled trial was undertaken in a nursing home for elderly in Shizuoka, Japan. Thirty‐four dentate elderly over 74 years were randomly assigned from ID number to the intervention (17/34) and control (17/34) groups. The outcomes were changes in oral microbiological parameters (number of bacteria in unstimulated saliva; whole bacteria, Streptococcus, Fusobacterium and Prevotella: opportunistic pathogens detection: and index of oral hygiene evaluation [Dental Plaque Index, DPI]) within the intervention period. Each parameter was evaluated at before and after intervention period. Four elderly were lost from mortality (1), bone fracture (1), refused to participate (1) and multi‐antibiotics usage (1). Finally, 30 elderly were analysed (14/intervention and 16/control). Results At baseline, no difference was found between the control and intervention groups. After the intervention period, the percentage of Streptococcus species increased significantly in the intervention group (Intervention, 86% [12/14]; Control, 50% [8/16]: Fisher's, right‐tailed, P