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Andreas Zenthöfer,1 Inga Meyer-Kühling,2,3 Anna-Luisa Hufeland,1 Johannes Schröder,2,3 Tomas Cabrera,1 Dominik Baumgart,1 Peter Rammelsberg,1 Alexander J Hassel1 1Department of Prosthetic Dentistry, University of Heidelberg, 2Institute of Gerontology, University of Heidelberg, 3Section of Geriatric Psychiatry, Center of Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of carers’ education on improvements in oral health and denture hygiene of care-dependent and cognitively impaired older people in nursing homes compared to those without intervention. Methods: A total of 219 seniors living in 14 nursing homes in southwest Germany (intervention: n=144; control: n=75) were enrolled in this study. For each participant, Plaque Control Record (PCR), Gingival Bleeding Index (GBI), Denture Hygiene Index (DHI) and Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Needs (CPITN) were assessed at baseline and six months following the interventions. In addition, demographic parameters such as age, sex, chronic diseases, permanent medications, level of dependency and cognitive state were recorded. In the intervention homes, education for caregivers was provided and ultrasound baths for denture cleaning were implemented. Changes in the dental target variables PCR, GBI, CPITN and DHI during the six-month study period were compared between subjects in the intervention and the control groups as well as between subjects with and without dementia. Additionally, multivariate models were compiled for each dental index to evaluate possible confounders. Results: In the intervention group, PCR and DHI significantly improved during the study period (P0.05). Conclusion: Carers’ education improves oral health of people in nursing homes over a clinically relevant period of time. Implementation of ultrasound baths is a simple and effective measure to improve denture hygiene of both institutionalized elderly people and seniors with dementia and in severe need of care. From a clinical standpoint, it is noteworthy that the respective interventions can be easily implemented in everyday care routine. Keywords: oral health, intervention, older people, nursing home, longitudinal

Anna-Luisa Klotz,1 Alexander Jochen Hassel,1 Johannes Schröder,2,3 Peter Rammelsberg,1 Andreas Zenthöfer1 1Department of Prosthodontics, Dental School, 2Institute of Gerontology, 3Section of Geriatric Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany Purpose: The objective of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the effect of prosthetic status on the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) of nursing home residents with or without dementia.Methods: The study was performed in 14 nursing homes across the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. All eligible participants were included, and general and medical information and information about their dental and prosthetic statuses were collected. The Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) was administered to evaluate OHRQoL. The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) served to classify participants into living or not living with dementia according to the established cutoff value for dementia (MMSE 0.05). The number of teeth (odds ratio [OR]: 2.0), the type of prosthetic status (OR: 6.5), and denture-related treatment needs (OR: 2.4) were the major factors significantly affecting OHRQoL (P

Andreas Zenthöfer, Peter Rammelsberg, Tomas Cabrera, Alexander Jochen Hassel Department of Prosthodontics, DentalSchool, University ofHeidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany Abstract: To determine relationships between the need for dental treatments of institutionalized elderly people and cognitive impairment and the general level of care needed. Two hundred and sixty-eight residents of long-term care facilities in Germany were included in this study. Age, sex, diseases, number of frequently taken drugs, and location of the long-term care facility of the participants were recorded. For each participant, the need for care was assessed by use of the Barthel index (BI). Cognitive impairment was evaluated by use of the mini-mental state examination (MMSE). To assess dental treatment needs, the revised oral assessment guide (ROAG) was applied for different oral health conditions, which were rated “healthy” or “treatment needed”. Spearman correlations were performed to evaluate associations between BI and MMSE and dental treatment needs. Statistical analysis revealed significant associations of BI (P

Statement of problem. Clinicians providing edentulous patients with complete dentures are often confronted with the problem of not knowing the patient's natural tooth color. It would be valuable to be able to determine this from other facial features. Purpose. The purpose of this study was to assess the possibility of predicting tooth color in the elderly from hair and eye color, facial skin complexion, and gender. Material and methods. The lightness (L*), chroma (C*), and hue (h*) of the color of 541 natural teeth were measured for a white study population (94 subjects, 75 to 77 years old, 55.3% male) by means of a single measurement with a clinically applicable spectrophotometer. Hair and eye color and facial skin complexion were recorded in categories. Mixed-effects regression models were calculated for each L*, C*, and h* value with hair and eye color, facial skin complexion, and gender as independent variables (α=.05). Results. Only gender and hair color in univariate analysis and, additionally, eye color in multivariate analysis, were significant predictors of tooth color. Higher L* values (lighter color) were associated with lighter eye color and with female gender. The C* value was lower (less saturated) for women. More yellow/green than yellow/red h* values were associated with hair colors other than black and with female gender. However, the parameter estimates of the variables were rather low. Conclusions. Determination of tooth color from hair and eye color and from gender in the white elderly was only partially possible. (J Prosthet Dent 2008;99:101-106)