Abstract
Professional oral health care by dental health workers is needed for elderly patients who requir daily nursing care. In the present study, we evaluated the effectiveness of professional oral health care once a week for 24 months by dental hygienist to 88 elderly persons requiring daily care and living in a nursing home. The professional oral care reduced the cell numbers of Staphylococcus species and Candida albicans in samples obtained from the oral cavity (p<0.005). The methylmercaptan in the exhalation of the care group was significantly lower than that of the non-care group (p<0.005). It was found that professional care resulted in a significant reduction of the oral hygiene index compared with the non care group (p<0.001). The feverishness (more than 37.8°C) of the elderly groups was examined by a double-blind protocol. The professional care significantly reduced the feverishness (p<0.05). The present study showed that professional oral health care by dental hygienists for the elderly requiring daily nursing care reduced the bacterial cell number and resulted in reduced feverishness.
