The Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 estimates that oral diseases affected 3.5 billion people worldwide, with untreated dental caries being among the most prevalent non-communicable diseases. A 2016 study found that almost 1 in 3 Singaporeans aged 60 and above did not have any teeth. As such, oral health should be part of the comprehensive care for the general well-being of older adults in the community. 10 participants were recruited into the focused discussions, followed by individual health coaching then a pre and post intervention questionnaires. The post-intervention results showed that there were significant improvements in both oral hygiene awareness from 26% to 35% (p<0.05) and a reduction in the oral pain and discomfort, as reflected by the improvement in the GOHAI score from 45 to 46.5 (p<0.05). The findings highlighted the importance and benefits of increasing oral hygiene awareness through targeted health coaching among older adults in the community.
