Effect of Honey-based Oral Care on Oral Health of Patients With Stroke Undergoing Rehabilitation: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate the effects of honey-based oral care on the oral health of patients with stroke undergoing rehabilitation.

Methods: In this randomized controlled trial, 44 stroke patients from a tertiary hospital's rehabilitation ward were assigned to receive either honey-based oral care or normal saline, with treatments administered twice daily for 2 weeks. The study, conducted from November 2021 to August 2022, employed a double-blind method, blinding both participants and evaluators to treatment allocations. The key outcomes measured included oral status, dental plaque index (DPI), and xerostomia. The final analysis included 13 patients in the experimental group and 16 in the control group.

Results: The intervention significantly changed the oral status, DPI, and xerostomia between the groups. The experimental group showed significantly improved oral status (Z = -4.63, p < .001), DPI (Z = -4.58, p < .001), and xerostomia (t = -6.33, p < .001) compared with the control group. The experimental group showed significant improvements in oral status (Z = -3.27, p = .001), DPI (Z = -3.19, p = .001), and xerostomia (t = 7.37, p < .001) after the intervention, confirming the efficacy of honey-based oral care.

Conclusions: Honey-based oral care effectively improves oral status and xerostomia, and reduces DPI in patients with stroke.

Clinical trial registration number: Clinical Research Information Service, KCT0008201. Registered on 04 February 2023. The first patient was enrolled on November 16, 2021, at https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/listDetail.do?searchWord=KCT0008201&search_yn=Y.

Keywords: honey; oral hygiene; randomized controlled trial; stroke rehabilitation.