Extending Dental Care to Nursing Home Residents to Reduce Mouth Infections and Incidence of Pneumonia and Improve Diabetic Glucose Control

The goal of this study is to learn if dental infection control treatment delivered to older adult nursing home residents at their place of residence will result in : * improved dental health * reduced risk of pneumonia * better glucose control for diabetic patients compared to the pre-project dental and general health evaluations of residents and the pre-project facility incidence of pneumonia. Dental infection control treatment includes treating gum infections, stopping or slowing decay with fluoride, and assisting residents with effective tooth brushing and denture cleaning daily. Previous studies indicate dental infections can be inhaled and cause pneumonia or make diabetes worse. A shortage of dentists has limited care for nursing home residents. This project will allow dental hygienists and specially trained dental assistants to treat nursing home residents using telehealth methods (computers, cameras, internet, and telephone) to talk and work with dentists in different locations.

NCT Number	NCT06890676
Lead Sponsor	Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
Conditions	Periodontitis, Gingivitis, Periodontal Disease, Periodontal Infections, Oral Infections, Periapical Infections, Pneumonia, Diabetes
Enrollment	150 participants
Start Date	2024-03-01
Primary Completion	2026-08-28 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-08-28 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2025-03-26