Designing an Oral Health Promotion Programme for Adults in Long-Term Care Facilities in Lagos State

Older adults in long-term care facilities have high oral disease burden and limited access to regular dental services, and designing a structured oral health promotion programme for these settings addresses an underserved population in South West Nigeria. This study designed an oral health promotion programme for residents and staff of long-term care facilities in Lagos Mainland, Eti-Osa, and Ikeja Local Government Areas, Lagos State. A professional programme design methodology was applied, drawing on oral health needs assessment of residents at five facilities, structured consultations with 20 care facility staff and 10 gerodontology specialists, and benchmarking against WHO Oral Health for Older Adults guidelines and comparable African care home programmes. Assessment confirmed high rates of tooth loss, poor denture hygiene, and inadequate brushing assistance among residents with limited dexterity. Staff reported low confidence in assisting with daily oral care. The programme designed encompasses four components: monthly dental officer oral health review for all residents, training care staff in daily oral hygiene assistance for dependent residents, provision of adapted toothbrushes and denture cleaning kits, and a family carer education component. Oral health indicators for monthly monitoring are specified. Expert review by nine gerodontology and health promotion specialists confirmed the programme's design quality. The study recommends adoption by five pilot facilities in Lagos, supported by LUTH gerodontology unit and Age Alliance Nigeria, with six-month outcome evaluation including gingival health and denture plaque scores.

Keywords: oral health promotion, long-term care facilities, older adults, Lagos State, gerodontology