title: Lasting effect of an oral hygiene care program for patients with stroke during in-hospital rehabilitation: a randomized single-center clinical trial.
abstract: Because the oral hygiene is poorly prioritized in the immediate post-stroke period, we implemented an oral hygiene care program (OHCP) for stroke in-patients and evaluated its persistence after discharge.
  
  
  
  In all, 62 patients with stroke who were admitted to the rehabilitation ward were randomly assigned to two groups: 33 patients to the intervention group and 29 to the control group. The OHCP, including tooth brushing education and professional tooth cleaning, was administered to the intervention group twice a week six times during in-hospital rehabilitation. Oral health status was examined both at baseline and three months after discharge from the hospital. Oral hygiene status was examined at three- to four-day intervals five times during the hospitalization period.
  
  
  
  After OHCP, oral hygiene status including the plaque index, calculus index, and O'Leary plaque index improved significantly in the intervention group, compared to the control group (p < 0.05). In the intervention group, after administration of the OHCP for the fourth time, the O'Leary index improved significantly, and remained high when checked three months after discharge (p < 0.001).
  
  
  
  An OHCP conducted during in-hospital rehabilitation was effective in improving oral health and plaque control performance among patients with stroke, with effects still seen three months after discharge from the hospital. Implications for Rehabilitation Initial oral hygiene status and plaque control performance were poor in stroke patients who were in rehabilitation center. An oral hygiene care program during in-hospital rehabilitation was effective in improving oral hygiene status and plaque control performance among stroke patients at three months after discharge. Repeated tooth brushing education and professional tooth cleaning were necessary to improve plaque control performance of stroke patients.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Dental Hygiene, College of Science & Technology , Kyungpook National University , Daegu , Korea.
authors.forename: Eun-Kyong
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: b Department of Dentistry , College of Medicine, Yeungnam University , Daegu , Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Young
authors.initials: EY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: b Department of Dentistry , College of Medicine, Yeungnam University , Daegu , Korea.
authors.forename: Jung-Whan
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Sa Gong
authors.affiliation: c Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation , College of Medicine, Yeungnam University , Daegu , Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Ho
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6383-5505
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: d Department of Preventive Dentistry, School of Dentistry , Kyungpook National University , Daegu , Korea.
authors.forename: Youn-Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: b Department of Dentistry , College of Medicine, Yeungnam University , Daegu , Korea.
authors.forename: Hee-Kyung
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003729:Dental Care; D003774:Dental Plaque Index; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009909:Oral Health; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation
keywords: Oral hygiene care program; rehabilitation; stroke