Effectiveness of a Dental Intervention to Improve Oral Health among Home Care Recipients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Jonas Czwikla, Alexandra Herzberg, Sonja Kapp, Stephan Kloep, Heinz Rothgang, Ina Nitschke, Cornelius Haffner and Falk Hoffmann
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Jonas Czwikla: Department of Health Services Research, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
Alexandra Herzberg: Department of Health, Long-Term Care and Pensions, SOCIUM Research Center on Inequality and Social Policy, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
Sonja Kapp: Department of Health, Long-Term Care and Pensions, SOCIUM Research Center on Inequality and Social Policy, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
Stephan Kloep: High-Profile Area of Health Sciences, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
Heinz Rothgang: Department of Health, Long-Term Care and Pensions, SOCIUM Research Center on Inequality and Social Policy, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
Ina Nitschke: Division of Gerodontology, Clinic of Prosthetic Dentistry and Dental Materials Science, University Medical Center, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
Cornelius Haffner: Special Care- and Geriatric Dentistry, Städtisches Klinikum Harlaching München, 81545 Munich, Germany
Falk Hoffmann: Department of Health Services Research, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 17, 1-13

Abstract: We quantified the effectiveness of an oral health intervention among home care recipients. Seven German insurance funds invited home care recipients to participate in a two-arm randomized controlled trial. At t 0 , the treatment group (TG) received an intervention comprising an oral health assessment, dental treatment recommendations and oral health education. The control group (CG) received usual care. At t 1 , blinded observers assessed objective (Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT)) and subjective (Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP)) oral health and the objective periodontal situation (Periodontal Screening Index (PSI)). Of 9656 invited individuals, 527 (5.5%) participated. In the TG, 164 of 259 (63.3%) participants received the intervention and 112 (43.2%) received an outcome assessment. In the CG, 137 of 268 (51.1%) participants received an outcome assessment. The OHAT mean score (2.83 vs. 3.31, p = 0.0665) and the OHIP mean score (8.92 vs. 7.99, p = 0.1884) did not differ significantly. The prevalence of any periodontal problems (77.1% vs. 92.0%, p = 0.0027) was significantly lower in the TG than in the CG, but the prevalence of periodontitis was not (35.4% vs. 44.6%, p = 0.1764). Future studies should investigate whether other recruitment strategies and a more comprehensive intervention might be more successful in improving oral health among home care recipients.

Keywords: geriatric dentistry; objective oral health; oral health-related quality of life; periodontitis; long-term care (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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