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Updated: Aug 8, 2026
Oral Health Assessment by Lay Personnel for Older Adults
Published on: February 2, 2020
Bedside Intraoral Scanning to Reduce Procedural Burden in Older Adults With Dementia: Nonrandomized Counterbalanced
Anna-Lena Hillebrecht1, Kirstin Vach2,3, Christoph Maurer4
1Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, Center for Dental Medicine, Medical Center ‑ University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Straße 55, Freiburg, 79106, Germany, 49 76127048440.
Intraoral scanning (IOS) is a feasible and well-tolerated procedure for older adults with dementia, significantly reducing discomfort and gag reflexes compared to traditional impressions. This offers a promising, low-burden method for essential oral health assessments in dementia care.
Area of Science:
- Geriatric Medicine
- Dental Technology
- Clinical Dentistry
Background:
- Older adults with dementia often experience limited tolerance for dental procedures, hindering oral health assessments.
- Procedural burden, including sensory overload and lack of interruptions, is a significant barrier to equitable oral care for this population.
- Intraoral scanning (IOS) offers a potential solution due to its stepwise and interruptible nature, but its feasibility in dementia patients is not well-established.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility and tolerability of bedside maxillary intraoral scanning (IOS) in hospitalized individuals with dementia.
- To compare IOS with the conventional alginate-based impression procedure in terms of patient comfort and clinical manageability.
- To assess adverse reactions and procedural time associated with both IOS and conventional impressions.
Main Methods:
- A single-center, nonrandomized, counterbalanced crossover feasibility study involving 19 hospitalized participants with dementia.
- Participants underwent both bedside maxillary IOS and a conventional alginate impression procedure during a single visit.
- Outcomes included procedure completion, patient-reported discomfort (VAS), clinician-rated manageability (VAS), adverse reactions, and procedural time.
Main Results:
- Intraoral scanning (IOS) was associated with significantly lower participant-reported discomfort (P<.001) and better clinician-rated manageability (P<.001) compared to conventional impressions.
- Gag reflex occurred less frequently during IOS (5.3%) than during conventional impressions (47.4%; P=.004).
- Active procedural time was comparable between IOS and conventional impressions, with no significant order effect detected.
Conclusions:
- Bedside intraoral scanning (IOS) is a feasible and well-tolerated procedure for hospitalized older adults with dementia.
- IOS demonstrated a lower immediate procedural burden compared to conventional alginate impressions.
- Further research is warranted to explore the downstream treatment effects and implementation of IOS in diverse settings for dementia care.