OBJECTIVE: To clarify the oral environment, we evaluated the usefulness and clinical applicability of a new apparatus developed for the simple and rapid quantification of oral bacteria. BACKGROUND: Professional oral health care can reduce the number of oral bacteria and days of fever and inhibit the development of pneumonia. A novel detection apparatus was developed by applying the dielectrophoretic impedance measurement method. METHODS: First, to determine the accuracy of this apparatus, employing standard samples of Escherichia coli. Next, to evaluate the oral environment, samples were taken from the tongue in elderly (mean age: 86.6 years) in nursing home. RESULTS: In the first study, a good correlation was observed between the two methods (R = 0.999). In the second study, there were significant correlations between measurement values obtained using this apparatus and those obtained by the culture method (R = 0.852), as well as those obtained by the FM method (R = 0.885). CONCLUSION: Our data showed that this rapid oral bacterial detection apparatus is effective in evaluating the oral hygiene to prevent pneumonia in the elderly.
OBJECTIVE: To clarify the oral environment, we evaluated the usefulness and clinical applicability of a new apparatus developed for the simple and rapid quantification of oral bacteria. BACKGROUND: Professional oral health care can reduce the number of oral bacteria and days of fever and inhibit the development of pneumonia. A novel detection apparatus was developed by applying the dielectrophoretic impedance measurement method. METHODS: First, to determine the accuracy of this apparatus, employing standard samples of Escherichia coli. Next, to evaluate the oral environment, samples were taken from the tongue in elderly (mean age: 86.6 years) in nursing home. RESULTS: In the first study, a good correlation was observed between the two methods (R = 0.999). In the second study, there were significant correlations between measurement values obtained using this apparatus and those obtained by the culture method (R = 0.852), as well as those obtained by the FM method (R = 0.885). CONCLUSION: Our data showed that this rapid oral bacterial detection apparatus is effective in evaluating the oral hygiene to prevent pneumonia in the elderly.