Community oral health promotion program fostering self-management for the elderly

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate a health promotion program for the elderly to foster self-management of oral health. The results of the first district evaluated among four districts are reviewed. Subjects consisted of 31 people (average age, 73.1 ± 7.4 years). The intervention consisted of a group study and private consulta- tions for 3 months. As a consequence, subjects cleaned their teeth more often than before (P < 0.05). Deposits of plaque and tartar were significantly lower after inter- vention (P < 0.01-0.001), while scores for oral function did not significantly improve. Scores for QOL and cognitive function improved significantly (P < 0.05). These results suggest that this program promotes not only oral self-care, resulting in good oral health conditions, but also improvement of cognitive function of the elderly.