Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 17, 2026

Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Provision of mouth-care in long-term care facilities: an educational trial
M I MacEntee1, C C L Wyatt, B L Beattie
1Division of Prosthodontics and Dental Geriatrics, Department of Oral Health Sciences, Faculty of Dentistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. macentee@interchange.ubc.ca
Objectives:
This randomized clinical trial aimed to assess the effectiveness of a pyramid-based education for improving the oral health of elders in long-term care (LTC) facilities.
Methods:
Fourteen facilities matched for size were assigned randomly to an active or control group. At baseline in each facility, care-aides in the active group participated with a full-time nurse educator in a seminar about oral health care, and had unlimited access to the educator for oral health-related advice throughout the 3-month trial. Care-aides in the control group participated in a similar seminar with a dental hygienist but they received no additional advice. The residents in the facilities at baseline and after 3 months were examined clinically to measure their oral hygiene, gingival health, masticatory potential, Body Mass Index and Malnutrition Indicator Score, and asked to report on chewing difficulties.
Results:
Clinical measures after 3 months were not significantly different from baseline in either group, indicating that education neither influenced the oral health nor the dental hygiene of the residents.
Conclusions:
A pyramid-based educational scheme with nurses and care-aides did not improve the oral health of frail elders in this urban sample of LTC facilities.
Related Concept Videos
Assessment of the Mouth
Mouth Inspection
The inspection begins with visually examining the mouth for symmetry, color, and size.
Tracheostomy Suctioning II: Procedure
Oral Cavity
Teeth: The teeth are the hardest structures in our bodies. Humans have two sets of teeth throughout their lifetime: deciduous (baby) teeth and permanent teeth. Each tooth consists of several parts: the crown (visible part), the root (embedded in the jaw), enamel (hard outer...
Tracheostomy Care II: Procedure
Step 1: Perform hand hygiene, and put on personal protective equipment: gown, gloves, mask and...
Suctioning the Oropharyngeal Airway
After assembling the equipment, the nurse should practice hand hygiene and don appropriate PPE according to infection control guidelines to avoid the...
Documentation in Long-Term and Home Healthcare Setting
Long-Term Care Facilities