Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40237889›Full record

ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2025

Comparison of nurse-led oral health care and dental professional-led oral health management in terminally ill cancer patients receiving palliative care: a longitudinal study.

Hiroyuki Suzuki, Junichi Furuya, Rena Hidaka, Yuko Motomatsu, Ryuzo Hara, Yuji Kabasawa, Haruka Tohara, Shunsuke Minakuchi

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Hiroyuki SuzukiDepartment of Gerodontology and Oral Rehabilitation, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0420-9146
Junichi FuruyaDepartment of Oral Function Management, Graduate School of Dentistry, Showa Medical University, Tokyo, Japan. furuyajunichi@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8018-4537
Rena HidakaDepartment of Oral Health Sciences for Community Welfare, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4998-6275
Yuko MotomatsuDepartment of Nursing, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Ryuzo HaraDepartment of Oral Function Management, Graduate School of Dentistry, Showa Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-5173-2955
Yuji KabasawaDepartment of Oral Care for Systemic Health Support, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6485-5847
Haruka ToharaDepartment of Dysphagia Rehabilitation, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5514-6419
Shunsuke MinakuchiDepartment of Gerodontology and Oral Rehabilitation, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, Japan.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2217-7539

Funding

8020 Promotion Foundation 23-03-06
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo examine the impact of oral health care provided by nurses who received instruction from dental professionals on the oral health of terminally ill cancer patients and determine the optimal cutoff value of the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT) total score for triaging patients in need of oral health management by dental professionals.

methodsIn total, 115 terminally ill cancer patients (66 males and 49 females; average age 73.5 ± 10.9 years) who received oral health management during palliative care at Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital between April 2017 and August 2019 were included. Oral health management was conducted by dental professionals (D group) or nurses educated by dental professionals (Ns group). Oral health status was evaluated using the OHAT at the initial dental consultation in palliative care and approximately 2 weeks later.

resultsBoth groups showed significant improvement in the OHAT total score and OHAT sub-items of the lips, tongue, gums and tissues, saliva, oral cleanliness, and dental pain. However, sub-items of natural teeth and dentures improved significantly only in the D group. Additionally, the optimal cutoff value for the OHAT total score in determining the need for oral health management by dental professionals was 6.

conclusionOral health care conducted by nurses who received instruction from dental professionals can improve oral health status. Patients with OHAT total scores of ≥ 6 should be considered for oral health management by dental professionals.

Indexed as

Dental CareNeoplasmsOral HealthPalliative CareAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle AgedTerminally IllCancerDental professional-led oral health managementMultidisciplinary team approachNurse-led oral health careOHATOral healthPalliative care

Identifiers

PMID40237889

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.