Elders in nursing homes are at a high risk of developing serious illnesses like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, COPD, and dementia due to lack of proper oral care. According to top health researchers, there may be a simple solution to this problem. Research using products made cranberry extract, specifically with Fruit d’Or’s premium, whole-fruit cranberry powder and water-soluble organic cranberry juice powder found that it may be a natural, healthy, and effective way to take hold of this issue.

Angie Stone, author of “Dying from Dirty Teeth: Why the Lack of Proper Oral Care is Killing Nursing Home Residents and How to Prevent it,” says that many studies show that bacteria associated with periodontal disease can grow on teeth. If these bacteria are not properly removed, they multiply quickly in the mouth and can lead to many diseases and even death.

Currently, oral care strategies used in nursing homes are ineffective. One such strategy is the use of Chlorhexidine. Shirley Gutkowski, RDH, BSDH, who specializes in integrating oral and systemic health says in a press release from Fruit d’Or that “Chlorhexidine, applied with a sponge, is one strategy but it is associated with staining, alters the taste buds and it is not clear how it mixes with other medications. Plus, Chlorhexidine has never been studied in this population, and it is difficult for it to penetrate the immense amount of build-up on their teeth.”

Gutkowski says that one solution may be getting patients to drink a no sugar-added whole fruit cranberry beverage made with no carriers once or twice daily so that they may reap the benefits of cranberry’s ability to combat bacteria in the oral cavity. This may be a way to improve the health of the residents while saving on the high costs of healthcare.

This is validated by a variety of research. For example, a lab experiment by University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry showed that Fruit d’Or Cran Naturelle organic whole-fruit cranberry powder and organic cranberry juice powder both have anti-adhesion effects, positively linking the reduction of biofilm formation. In another study, Canadian dentist H.A. Rodrigues proved that Fruit d’Or Oral Cran, made from whole fruit cranberry powder, is a natural agent for reducing bleeding gums and bad breath. In the study, 33 men and women dipped their toothbrushes, with toothpaste, into Whole Fruit Cranberry Powder before brushing their teeth. Gum conditions of each patient were recorded before and after the treatment and after two to three months, the periodontal condition of the patients improved, and in all cases, bleeding from the gums ended.

Gum disease affects up to 90 percent of the world population. The studies above might be a solution for many others outside of the nursing home population. According to Stephen Lukawski, director of global sales and product development, Fruit d’Or Nutraceuticals, “Flavor-neutral whole fruit and juice extract cranberry powders may be an oral care secret now, but once people start learning about its benefits, it won’t stay hidden for long.”