Impact of an Oral Health Education Intervention on Informal Caregivers: Validation and Application of the Portuguese Dental Coping Beliefs Scale - DCBS-PT

Background Oral health literacy among institutional caregivers plays a critical role in maintaining and improving the oral health of dependent older adults. However, training opportunities for caregivers in this field remain limited, and validated instruments to assess their oral health beliefs and practices are scarce. This study aimed to validate the Portuguese version of the Dental Coping Beliefs Scale (DCBS-PT) and to evaluate the impact of an educational intervention on caregivers’ knowledge and beliefs regarding oral health care. Methods A quasi-experimental study was conducted among 44 institutional caregivers of institutionalized elderly from two nursing home facilities in Viseu, in the central region of Portugal. Participants completed the DCBS-PT before and after an oral health educational session. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed using SPSS 28.0, including reliability analysis (Cronbach’s alpha) and comparison of pre- and post-intervention responses through chi-square and Wilcoxon tests. Statistical significance was set at p  < 0.05. Results The study population consisted predominantly of female caregivers (97.7%), with a mean age between 41 and 50 years. Most had more than 10 years of professional experience, and 70.5% reported prior training in healthcare. The DCBS-PT demonstrated high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.94). Significant improvements were observed in key domains of oral health literacy after the intervention, particularly regarding beliefs about gingival disease control ( p  = 0.004), prevention of oral candidiasis ( p  = 0.004), and correct response to gingival bleeding during hygiene ( p  = 0.03). Conclusions The DCBS-PT showed strong psychometric properties and can be reliably applied among Portuguese-speaking caregivers. The educational intervention effectively improved caregivers’ awareness and understanding of oral health care, highlighting the importance of continuous education for enhancing oral health outcomes in institutionalised populations.