Effect of an educational tooth-brushing program using priming in an elderly population with dementia residing in nursing homes

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of an educational program using priming on oral health, and dental plaque, and gingival bleeding indices in an elderly population with dementia (EWD) residing in nursing homes. Methods: A pretest and posttest were conducted with a nonequivalent control group. In total, 40 participants from an EWD had the following characteristics: 1) they were aged ��65 years, 2) they scored ��23 points on the MMSE-DS, 3) they were able to communicate, 4) they were able to hold a toothbrush and brush his or her teeth by themselves, and 5) they had no periodontal treatment for the last 3 months. Through random sampling, participants were assigned into either the experimental (n=20) or control group (n=20). The educational program consisted of twelve 30-minute sessions (twice per week for 6 weeks). The control group was demonstrated the standard tooth-brushing method by the facility during the study period. Results: There were no significant differences in demographics or main variables at pretest. The experimental group showed significant differences in the subjective oral health condition, as compared to the control group. The experimental group showed an increase in the level of tooth-brushing effort (t=���8.816, P��.001) and higher scores of self-evaluative dental health status (P��.001) as compared to the control group. The experimental group showed a reduced plaque index (t=11.179, P��.001) and gingival bleeding index (t=5.812, P��.001) compared to the control group. Additionally, the experimental group showed significant differences in changes of plaque index and gingival bleeding index between the pretest and posttest. Conclusions: An interventional program on tooth brushing with priming effectively improved dental health, plaque index, and gingival bleeding index in EWDs residing in nursing homes. Direct care providers should understand the remaining abilities of EWDs and carry out priming when providing care to them