Development of guidelines for improving oral health in individuals with Parkinson's disease

Objective The purpose of this project was to develop evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for the management of oral health (OH) for patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Background Individuals with PD have significantly poorer OH than the general population. Poor OH is a risk factor for systemic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and respiratory infections. Materials and Methods After an extensive literature review was completed, available evidence was evaluated for inclusion in the initial draft of the guidelines. The draft was then reviewed for content validity by experts in the areas of dentistry, dental hygiene and neurology using the Delphi method. After consensus among the content experts, final guidelines were completed. The final CPG was presented to individuals with PD and their caregivers at a support group. Participants were asked to review the information in the guidelines for 2 weeks and then submit a survey regarding the usefulness of the CPG. The CPG was also evaluated by practicing nurse practitioners (NPs) and dental hygienists using the AGREE II tool. Results Twenty people from the PD support group participated in the educational intervention, and surveys were received from 14 participants. Overall, participants agreed or strongly agreed with each statement related to the applicability and usefulness of the guidelines. The CPG was evaluated using the AGREE II tool, and scores were >80% in all domains with an overall score of 97.1%. Conclusion Development of these guidelines represent an initial step in improving the oral health and overall health of individuals with PD.