Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the
effects of oral care using simple tools and methods
on the cleanliness of the oral cavity in the elderly.
Enrolled were 84 elderly subjects with a mean (±
S.D) age of 85.1±7.0 years in a nursing home. They
were given tongue and oral mucosa cleaning (the
oral care) after lunch every day or every other day
for two consecutive weeks by the authors. The
effect of the oral care was studied in terms of
Candida scores in tongue coating, concentration of
volatile sulfur compounds (VSC) which are the
main causative substance of bad breath, and
change in tongue coating scores. The above parameters
were measured five times; just before the
oral care program, weekly during, and at the end of
the oral care program. The groups of patients, who
were given the oral care, especially the group of
patients cared with sponge brushes every day,
showed a significant reduction in Candida scores
but not in VSC concentration and tongue coating
scores. The present method of oral care proved
effective in cleaning the tongue and oral mucosa,
and the Candida scores appeared to be a reliable
indicator for evaluation. It is suggested that this
way of oral care is simple, easy and useful not only
for the elderly at a nursing home but for the
house-bound elder people who will rapidly
increase in the near future in Japan.
