Is Oral Health Overlooked in Hospitals?
With oral health predominately linked to so many health conditions, it is alarming that research shows a deterioration of oral care in older patients during hospitalization.
A recent study examined the oral health of 162 patients upon hospitalization. Within two weeks, an increase in gum disease and levels of plaque were discovered. It seems most hospitals don’t have policies in place for routine oral health practices, and members of the hospital teams neglect to assess their patients’ oral health conditions during the hospitalization period. Research also found that poor oral health could be linked to a negative effect on nutritional status, highlighting the need for better food choices for patients.*
“In a challenging hospital environment it may be inevitable that oral care is seen as a low priority, but it is clear that more needs to be done.”
Another study suggests that healthcare professionals caring for the elderly in hospitals should have a core knowledge of dental care for their patients. One hundred nurses and healthcare assistants took part in a questionnaire where 40% admitted to having ’some anxiety’ about visiting their own dentist and about half of the participants gave advice to their patients about oral care. It was found in some cases that a nurses’ knowledge was incorrect, inappropriate advice was given and dental anxiety affected the extent of oral health communications. **
Hopefully in the future a greater priority will be given to the oral health needs of elderly patients, who may otherwise be unable to provide the proper care themselves.
*Journal of Clinical Periodontology, vol. 51, issue 6, pp.558-563, June 2014
** http://pmj.bmj.com/content/76/892/89.full
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