Effectiveness of oral hygiene protocol on oral health for patients with spinal cord injury

Objectives: The main objectiveof this study is to determine the functional effect of oral hygiene protocol onoral health for the patient with spinal cord injury (SCI). The specificobjectives are to evaluate the oral health of patient with spinal cord injurybefore and after receiving oral hygiene protocol, to assess the changes of oralhealth after providing the oral hygiene protocol, to determine the effect oforal hygiene protocol.

Backgroundhistory: Inpatientof SCI rehabilitation, majority of patient is unable in independency tomaintain their good living due to their mobility. Due to mobility, patient withSCI are unable to do proper care of oral health which may have risk of manyserious oral problems such as oral plaque, dental caries, dry mouth, loose teeth,bleeding gums, cavities, or broken teeth and symptoms of toothache, sensitiveteeth, chewing problems, bad breath, or unpleasant taste in mouth, reducingdiet intake as well as aspirated pneumonia. Oral candidiasis, which interferedwith dysphagia, may induce difficulties in chewing and swallowing in olderpeople, reducing also dietary intake. So, a simple and inexpensive oral hygieneprotocol can play an important role to overcome poor oral health.

Justificationof the study: Thisstudy is the measure of effectiveness of oral hygiene program on oral healthwith SCI patient. It will help for the patient with spinal cord injury tominimize oral problems and make a concern about oral health care becoming adaily routine. An oral hygiene protocol and oral health assessment tool will bea very useful resource for Spinal cord injury patient in case of assessing theoral health which will become a part of assessing dysphagia and provide oralhygiene advices which will become a part of intervention of improving oralhealth. As SLT profession has a significant role in Spinal cord injury unit so,this newly introduced intervention will become a better enrich based on improveoral health with SCI patient.

Methodsand materials: Itis a quantitative type of quasi experimental study will be conducted atCRP (Savar) and study population are patient with spinal cord injuryadmitted in CRP. Sampling procedure is hospital based randomization methodin time between 01.10.2021 to 10.01.2022. Data Collection Tools are OHAT (fornon-dental professionals), oral hygiene protocol, demographic informationsheet, consent form patient’s record file.

**DataCollection Procedures:**Experimental group conduct (pre-test)for assessment (OHAT) by a Clinical speech and language therapist (CSLT). Afterthat, the experimental group will introduce with oral hygiene protocol at day0. A simple oral hygiene protocol will be advised to the patient or caregiversto apply day 0 to day 7. They will apply the protocol in one week. After oneweek, the experimental group will conducted an assessment (post-test). Fromthis post-test, the investigator will get to know about the effect or change oforal health.

**DataAnalysis:**Itwill divided into two parts: 1st part will analyze through the descriptivestatistics for participants information. Second part will applied through acomputer program- “Statistical package for social sciences, version 2.0 (SPSS)will used as a data analysis tool along with ‘t test’ to compare the data frompretest-posttest of experimental group.

**Conclusion:**According toliteratures,to prevent oral health and reduce oral diseases, anoral hygiene protocol plays an important role of individuals. As therefore, asimple oral hygiene programs helps to improve oral health by doing daily oralcare generating independently or help or caregivers. A simple oral hygieneprotocol can reduce the associated factors of oral disease that might be occurfor neglecting the oral care.