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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2020 Oct 27;20(1):290.
doi: 10.1186/s12903-020-01280-7.

Effectiveness of oral health promotion program for persons with severe mental illness: a cluster randomized controlled study

Mei-Wen Kuo  1   2 , Shu-Hui Yeh  3 , Heng-Ming Chang  4 , Po-Ren Teng  5
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Effectiveness of oral health promotion program for persons with severe mental illness: a cluster randomized controlled study

Mei-Wen Kuo et al. BMC Oral Health. .

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a composite oral health promotion program designed to reduce dental plaque among persons with severe mental illness in a psychiatric institution.

Methods: A cluster randomized controlled study was carried out in chronic psychiatric wards of a general hospital in central Taiwan. Sixty-eight eligible male individuals admitted to 2 wards were randomly assigned to an experimental and a control group. Participants in the experimental group underwent an oral health promotion program that consisted of biweekly group education sessions, and a 12-week individual behavioral modification for oral hygiene course. The participants in the control group received usual care only. Dental plaque (measured by the Plaque Control Index) was examined by a single dentist before and after the experiment. Each participant responded to a questionnaire regarding oral health knowledge, attitude and behavior before and after the experiment.

Results: Fifty-eight individuals completed the study. Before the experiment, the plaque index was similar between the intervention group (68.9; N = 27) and the control group (69.8; N = 31). After the experiment, the plaque index was significantly better in the intervention group than in the control group (42.6 vs. 61.8; P < 0.001). Participants in the intervention group also demonstrated better oral health knowledge, attitude and behavior than those in the control group after the experiment.

Conclusions: A composite oral health promotion program using both group education and individual behavioral methods over a 12-week period was effective in both reducing dental plaque and improving the oral health knowledge of persons with severe mental illness in the institution.

Trial registration: This study was retrospectively registered in Clinicaltrials.gov, with number NCT04464941, dated 7/7/2020. https://register.clinicaltrials.gov/RD103035018 .

Keywords: Mental illness; Oral health; Plaque index; Promotion program.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Participants flow chart
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Changes in dental plaque index by group
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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