ABSTRACT
Dental care and oral hygiene programmes for persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been relatively ignored areas of clinical care and research. Data regarding the need for structured oral hygiene programmes with this population are sorely lacking. Further, evidence to support or contraindicate the efficacy of such interventions is negligible. The purpose of the present study was to address the need for ongoing dental follow-up and oral hygiene programmes in the post-acute phase of rehabilitation care. A group of 20 TBI patients (10 experimental, 10 control) who were at least 1 month post-injury and had Rancho Los Amigos Scale scores of 6 or greater, were randomly selected for participation in the study. Oral hygiene status was assessed by a dental hygienist using a plaque index score developed by Silness and Loe. The experimental group received individualized oral hygiene instruction along with dental supplies for their personal use, including a dental mirror and red disclosing tablets. The control group received no such instructions or supplies. At 5-6 weeks following initial evaluation, 18 patients (nine from each group) were reassessed via the plaque index score. Comparisons between the control and experimental groups revealed significant differences on follow-up plaque scores with a lower mean score for the experimental group only on baseline and follow-up data yielding a significant decrease in plaque scores over time. These results suggest that dental hygiene interventions for patients following TBI can effectively promote dental plaque control.
