Department of Operative Dentistry and Periodontology, Centre of Dental Medicine, University of Cologne, Köln, Germany.
Gerodontology. 2023 Jun;40(2):244-250. doi: 10.1111/ger.12650. Epub 2022 Aug 4.
Investigate whether clinically assessed oral care status by an external dentist can be replicated using smartphone photographs.
Many people with care needs have poor oral hygiene. To help maintain oral health, caregivers require a simple way of communicating oral care status to the dental team.
Cross-sectional study in which smartphone photographs of the oral and prosthetic care situation of N = 50 nursing-home patients (mean age 85.6 [SD 6] years, 74% women) were assessed by two blinded, external examiners (D1/D2) and compared with clinical assessments made by the onsite dentist who also took the photographs (D0). Intraoral care status was clinically evaluated using the modified Plaque Index for Long-Term Care (PI-LTC) and Denture Hygiene Index (DHI). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) determined correlations between clinical and photographic findings.
The ICC was assessed for the PI-LTC (upper jaw, n = 41; lower jaw, n = 49) and DHI (upper jaw, n = 25; lower jaw, n = 18). The DHI showed excellent reliability between clinical assessment and smartphone evaluation for the determination of positive surfaces (ICC: upper 0.91 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.83-0.96], P < 0.001; lower 0.95 [95% CI 0.89-0.98], P < 0.001). The PI-LTC showed good reliability between clinical assessment (D0) and D1/D2 for determination of vestibular plaque (ICC: upper 0.84 [95% CI 0.74-0.91], P < 0.001; lower 0.87 [95% CI 0.79-0.92], P < 0.001).
Although limited, this pilot study demonstrated that standardised smartphone photographs can simply communicate the intraoral care status of patients who have difficulties accessing their dentist. This should be considered when planning improved communication between dentists, care recipients, and their support network.
研究外部牙医通过智能手机拍摄的照片能否复制临床评估的口腔护理状况。
许多有护理需求的人口腔卫生状况较差。为了帮助维持口腔健康，护理人员需要一种简单的方法将口腔护理状况传达给牙科团队。
横断面研究，对 50 名养老院患者（平均年龄 85.6 [6]岁，74%为女性）的口腔和义齿护理情况进行了两名盲法外部检查者（D1/D2）的智能手机拍摄照片评估，并与现场牙医的临床评估进行了比较（D0），后者也拍摄了照片。使用改良的长期护理菌斑指数（PI-LTC）和义齿卫生指数（DHI）对口腔护理状况进行临床评估。采用组内相关系数（ICC）评估临床和摄影结果之间的相关性。
对 PI-LTC（上颌，n=41；下颌，n=49）和 DHI（上颌，n=25；下颌，n=18）进行了 ICC 评估。在确定阳性表面时，DHI 显示出在智能手机评估和临床评估之间具有极好的可靠性（ICC：上颌 0.91 [95%置信区间（CI）0.83-0.96]，P<0.001；下颌 0.95 [95% CI 0.89-0.98]，P<0.001）。PI-LTC 显示出在确定颊侧菌斑时，临床评估（D0）和 D1/D2 之间具有良好的可靠性（ICC：上颌 0.84 [95% CI 0.74-0.91]，P<0.001；下颌 0.87 [95% CI 0.79-0.92]，P<0.001）。
尽管本研究存在一定局限性，但初步研究表明，标准化的智能手机照片可以简单地传达难以接触牙医的患者的口腔护理状况。在计划改善牙医、护理接受者及其支持网络之间的沟通时，应考虑到这一点。
