Comparison of the Amount of Used and the Ease of Oral Care between Liquid and Gel-Type Oral Moisturizers Used with an Oral Care Simulators

Abstract

Oral care involving the removal of dry sputum is effective for older patients who require nursing care or hospitalization. However, safe and efficient oral care methods for such patients remain unclear. We aimed to simulate the oral cavity of older adults with dry mouth and elucidate the differences between two moisturization agents, water and gel-like oral moisturizer, and investigate the effect of occupation and experience on the amount of use and the ease of oral care. Using an oral care simulator (MANABOT®, Nissin Dental Products Inc., Kyoto, Japan), 42 students and 48 dental professionals (13 dentists and 35 dental hygienists) performed oral care using moisturization agents to facilitate dry sputum removal. The time required for oral care, amount of water or gel used, amount of pharyngeal inflow, and ease of oral care when using water or gel were compared. The simulations revealed that the amount of use and pharyngeal inflow for gel (2.9 ± 1.6 and 0.3 ± 0.3, respectively) were significantly lower than those for water (6.8 ± 4.1 and 1.2 ± 1.5, respectively) in all participants. Using a gel-like moisturizer might reduce the aspiration risk in older patients requiring nursing care or hospitalization, regardless of occupation and experience.

Professional Dental Care to Reduce the Recurrence of Aspiration Pneumonia: A Prospective Cohort Study

“…The effectiveness of this method was also demonstrated in a simulation in a previous study by a group of dentists who participated in this study. 24 In our study, the results of the Kaplan-Meier curve showed a marked difference in recurrence rates immediately after the remission of aspiration pneumonia. These results indicated that oral care by dentists is highly effective in preventing recurrence as early as possible after remission.…”