Trial reportCommunity dentistry and oral epidemiology2025
Improving the Oral Health of Older People in Care Homes: Results From a Randomised Feasibility Study.
Trial report in Community dentistry and oral epidemiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- A feasibility study of the costs and consequences of improving the oral health of older people in care homes: findings from the TOPIC study.BMC oral health · 2025Article
- Oral Health in Residential Settings: A Public Health Priority.HRB open research · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
20 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesPoor oral health is a considerable burden for older adults in care homes. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) issued guideline NG48 on "Improving oral health in care homes". However, empirical evidence for oral health interventions among care home residents is weak, and the feasibility of the NG48 recommended interventions is not established. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of delivering a co-designed oral health intervention, based on NG48 recommendations, in care homes in two sites in the UK.
methodsThis was a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled feasibility study with a 12-month follow-up, undertaken in 22 care homes across two sites (11 each in London and Northern Ireland). Care homes were randomised to an intervention arm (n = 11), and a control arm (n = 11) that continued with usual routine practice. The complex intervention contained materials were co-designed with care home staff and consisted of: care home staff training package; Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT) administered by trained care home staff; and a support worker assisted twice daily tooth-brushing regimen with 1500 ppm fluoride toothpaste. Rates of recruitment and retention, data completion, and intervention fidelity were recorded to determine feasibility.
resultsOne-hundred-and-nineteen residents from 22 care homes were recruited and 82 residents from 19 care homes completed the study (retention: 86% for care homes and 69% for residents). Twenty residents were lost to follow-up and another 17 withdrew throughout the study. Data completion rates ranged between 88% and 97% at baseline and between 91% and 96% at the 12-month follow-up. Intervention fidelity records showed high completion rates for oral care plans (90%), and lower rates for weekly oral hygiene records (73%) and the OHAT (61%).
conclusionsThis study documented the feasibility of an oral health intervention in care homes, while also highlighting issues to consider for a definitive trial to assess the effectiveness of the co-designed intervention.
trial registrationClinical Trial Registration: ISRCTN10276613.
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