title: Effect of 12-month weekly professional oral hygiene care on the composition of the oral flora in dentate, dependent elderly residents: A prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effect of weekly professional oral hygiene care on the proportion of micro-organisms associated with good oral health, caries, and periodontal and soft tissue diseases in oral biofilms in dentate, dependent elderly residents.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Assisted oral hygiene care reduces the plaque score and number of micro-organisms in the oral biofilms in elderly residents. Less is known about the effect on the quality/composition of the remaining oral flora.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants comprised 33 residents in the study and 35 in the control group. Dental status (≥10 natural teeth and no removable dentures to be included), plaque score, salivary secretion rate and prescription medicines were recorded. Duplicate samples, collected from supragingival plaque and tongue, were analysed using cultivation technique. Differences between and within groups were analysed using one-way and two-way ANOVA, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the baseline, the number of teeth in the participants (mean age, 83.7 ± 7.4 years) was 22.0 ± 4.5. The number of prescription medicines was 9.4 ± 4.5. Seventy-six per cent had low salivary secretion rate. Fifty per cent had "visible thick" supragingival plaque. At the 12-month registration, "no visible" or "visible but thin" plaque was recorded in 92% in the study group. The proportions of bacteria associated with good oral health and periodontal diseases were decreased over time, while the frequency and proportions of micro-organisms associated with caries and soft tissue infection were unaffected or increased.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that assisted oral hygiene care alone is not sufficient to regain an oral microbial flora associated with good oral health in dentate, dependent elderly residents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Odontology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.|Department of Dental Medicine and Academic Centre of Gerodontics, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maude
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wikström
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Odontology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kawa L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Kareem
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Odontology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Annica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almståhl
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Odontology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Palmgren
authors.affiliation: Department of Cariology, Institute of Odontology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lingström
authors.affiliation: Department of Dental Medicine and Academic Centre of Gerodontics, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden.
authors.forename: Inger
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wårdh
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003729:Dental Care; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008134:Long-Term Care; D008297:Male; D009735:Nursing Homes; D009894:Opportunistic Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism; D013548:Sweden
keywords: dependent elders; minor salivary secretion; oral microbial flora; professional oral hygiene care