2.3. Intervention
gingivitis, caries, tooth brushing, tooth, denture
GINGIVITIS, DENTAL PLAQUE, CARIES, PLAQUE
After the first oral examination at T0, inpatients in the IG received a one-time individual oral health care training (IndOHCT) from the examiner. This individualized training included oral health information, motivational arguments, and practical exercises of tooth brushing and denture cleaning. The information provided included the inpatient’s oral health and oral hygiene status as well as the etiology and consequences of dental plaque, gingivitis, and caries. The important role of oral hygiene in maintaining good oral and general health, especially in older inpatients with multimorbidity, was explained. Practical training began with staining all teeth with a plaque revealing solution (Miradent Hager and Werken GmbH & Co. KG, Duisburg, Germany) and followed by observing the inpatients’ tooth brushing and denture cleaning as they usually do. Patients were encouraged to use their own tooth and denture cleaning utensils and were not provided with standardized oral hygiene products. The intention was to observe how patients were able to use their usual toothbrushing utensils to identify any motor impairments in their use and to provide guidance and individualized tips on how to use the products more effectively to improve plaque removal. Consequently, oral hygiene products were recommended individually according to the functional and cognitive status of the patient and their use was intensively trained [Inpatients in the CG did not receive IndOHCT during the study period. To remedy this disadvantage, similar training was provided after the completion of data collection in this group.The intervention lasted between 6.5 and 18 min. It lasted longer in subjects with residual dentition than in edentulous subjects and those without dentures.During hospitalization, all the inpatients performed self-controlled oral hygiene. No oral hygiene-related instructions were given to the medical staff.