Objectives: The main objective of this study is to determine the functional effect of oral hygiene protocol on oral health for the patient with spinal cord injury (SCI). The specific objectives are to evaluate the oral health of patient with spinal cord injury before and after receiving oral hygiene protocol, to assess the changes of oral health after providing the oral hygiene protocol, to determine the effect of oral hygiene protocol.

Background history: Inpatient of SCI rehabilitation, majority of patient is unable in independency to maintain their good living due to their mobility. Due to mobility, patient with SCI are unable to do proper care of oral health which may have risk of many serious oral problems such as oral plaque, dental caries, dry mouth, loose teeth, bleeding gums, cavities, or broken teeth and symptoms of toothache, sensitive teeth, chewing problems, bad breath, or unpleasant taste in mouth, reducing diet intake as well as aspirated pneumonia. Oral candidiasis, which interfered with dysphagia, may induce difficulties in chewing and swallowing in older people, reducing also dietary intake. So, a simple and inexpensive oral hygiene protocol can play an important role to overcome poor oral health.

Justification of the study: This study is the measure of effectiveness of oral hygiene program on oral health with SCI patient. It will help for the patient with spinal cord injury to minimize oral problems and make a concern about oral health care becoming a daily routine. An oral hygiene protocol and oral health assessment tool will be a very useful resource for Spinal cord injury patient in case of assessing the oral health which will become a part of assessing dysphagia and provide oral hygiene advices which will become a part of intervention of improving oral health. As SLT profession has a significant role in Spinal cord injury unit so, this newly introduced intervention will become a better enrich based on improve oral health with SCI patient.

Methods and materials: It is a quantitative type of quasi experimental study will be conducted at CRP (Savar) and study population are patient with spinal cord injury admitted in CRP. Sampling procedure is hospital based randomization method in time between 01.10.2021 to 10.01.2022. Data Collection Tools are OHAT (for non-dental professionals), oral hygiene protocol, demographic information sheet, consent form patient’s record file.

Data Collection Procedures: Experimental group conduct (pre-test) for assessment (OHAT) by a Clinical speech and language therapist (CSLT). After that, the experimental group will introduce with oral hygiene protocol at day 0. A simple oral hygiene protocol will be advised to the patient or caregivers to apply day 0 to day 7. They will apply the protocol in one week. After one week, the experimental group will conducted an assessment (post-test). From this post-test, the investigator will get to know about the effect or change of oral health.

Data Analysis: It will divided into two parts: 1st part will analyze through the descriptive statistics for participants information. Second part will applied through a computer program- “Statistical package for social sciences, version 2.0 (SPSS) will used as a data analysis tool along with ‘t test’ to compare the data from pretest-posttest of experimental group.

Conclusion: According to literatures, to prevent oral health and reduce oral diseases, an oral hygiene protocol plays an important role of individuals. As therefore, a simple oral hygiene programs helps to improve oral health by doing daily oral care generating independently or help or caregivers. A simple oral hygiene protocol can reduce the associated factors of oral disease that might be occur for neglecting the oral care.