Home Health Aide: Oral Health

As a nurse in a skilled nursing facility, oral hygiene care is very important, but the importance significantly increases when our patients are functionally dependent or cognitively impaired. These patients are unable to perform this task and depend on nurses to provide daily care. Nurses need to pay close attention for potential problems. They will need to perform assessments, develop oral care plans, and identify preventions and strategies to eliminate any potential problems. Poor oral health has been linked to serious systemic illnesses including diabetes mellitus, stroke, hypertension, myocardial infarction and aspiration pneumonia (Dyck et al., 2012). Patients who suffer from a lack of oral care can have a dramatic impact to their

There is only a small amount of literature providing quality evidence based on the use of a successful oral health assessment tool for people with dementia (JBI, 2004). There is no published evidence to this date that has directly linked the use of the assessment tool and the standard of oral hygiene and care given within residential aged care facilities (JBI, 2004). For successful assessment of the residents with dementia the assessment should be undertaken by trained staff and on admission the assessment should also involve a dentist (JBI, 2004). Assessment should be done on a regular basis, at least every 8 weeks (JBI, 2004).

In order to evaluate if mouth care and its frequency are Gold Standard interventions to prevent VAP

As society continues to age, one fourth of the world will be 65 years or older, thanks to the influx of baby boomers. Due to this rapid growth in longevity, this will multiply the problem of access to care. Attention towards systemic conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and strokes are being discussed by government agencies and health care professionals. (Overview of oral health, 2017). There is evidence linking oral health to systemic health, therefore, a need for a more collaborative approach towards prevention is critical to achieve overall health for the public (Jin, 2016).

In Dr. Parson’s presentation, I learned that there are still many seniors with out dental insurance. This is sad because the population by 2030 is going to double and more will eventually need treatment done by a dentist. According to her presentation oral care is not a concern to the nursing home staff. Some families show up to brush their family members teeth. With the limited financial resources for dental care these patients have it is one of their barriers to getting treatment done if needed or even cleaning. Therefore, we as dental hygienist can help make a difference by going out to the community and offering dental care education to the nursing staff because they must first know how to take care of their oral health before taking care

The main roles of a dental hygienists are to clean teeth and teach people on ways to preform proper oral care. Lack of proper oral health care can lead to more than just rotten teeth or gum disease, but can lead to systematic health issues. Both children and adults suffer from oral neglect. In fact some 82 million adults do not have dental heath insurance, which means most of these individuals do not go to the dentist. Also, in 2005, all of the children living at 200% of the federal poverty level did not go to any type of dental provider.

Although there have been oral health care models, as well as, best practice concepts for oral health, there is still a host of barriers that prevent this problem from being minimalized. Factors including negative behaviors from both the staff and residents, dexterity, mobility, as well as a lack of dental supplies, often leave the residents or the health care personnel frustrated. Some of the factors that prevent dentists from caring for these residents is a lack of mobile equipment, lack of space, time away from their private practice, and low reimbursement rates (Dirks, 2016). The director of nursing, along with the administrator, must collaborate with dental personnel to change the culture and instill a higher value on oral health. On-site training and education must be included in oral care, along with infection control regulations. Most residents are not able to coordinate their own care and often rely on personnel at the facility for assistance. There needs to be a collaboration between dental personnel, facility staff, and the residents, to cultivate oral care as an integral part of health and wellness for each resident (Chaves,

A health system defined as ‘all the activities whose primary purpose is to promote, restore and/or maintain health’ (WHO 2013). A good health system is indicated by its capability to delivers quality services, when and where the people need them (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2014). Australia’s health-care system is a combination of public welfare and private market provision (Willis, Reynolds & Keleher 2009). There are multiple layers of responsibility and funding provided by governments, individuals, health providers and private health insurers (Biggs 2013).

A dental hygienist is much more than just someone who cleans teeth. They are well rounded, educated professionals who are knowledgeable of many aspects of the dental and medical field. They are experts in dental anatomy, periodontal disease, related aspects of pharmacology, nutrition and even medical emergencies. As hygienists, we see a number of patients every day varying all different ages. With the advancements in the dental field the average age of a dental patient is now increasing. These advancements are leading to patients keeping their teeth longer, therefore coming into the dental office for more

As stated by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Each year, more than 30,000 new cases of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx are diagnosed and over 8,000 deaths due to oral cancer occur.” (CDC). Most adults are unaware that they have periodontal disease or gum disease, this occurs because they do not maintain routine checkups with their dentist. When we insert food and other bacteria into our mouths, it affects our teeth and gums. We need routine dental checkups and cleanings throughout our lives. Dental checkups usually involve x-rays, cleanings, and the examination of the mouth.

Limited Support Insurance of oral wellbeing is a vital variable of healthy aging in many ways, influencing the ability to communicate and personal satisfaction with presence, for instance (Sahyoun, 2004). The status of an individual’s nutritional health is determined by dietary intakes and lifestyles choices (Sahyoun, 2004). Oral health is important to reach good nutrition goals (Sahyoun, 2004). Oral health problems constrains a person’s food choices (which affect’s social association, a vital part of overall health) (Sahyoun, 2004). There is limited experimental evidence discovered to support the association concerning oral health, nutritional decisions, and the ranking of health (as earlier choices affects them later) (Sahyoun, 2004, 18). Food is not the only thing that harms an elder’s teeth. Dental wellbeing is often influenced by various professionally prescribed medications, taking note of that reactions would harm their teeth later on (Sahyoun, 2004).

Being consistent with your at home dental care plan is critical to your oral health. Many people don’t realize that they are engaging in some daily habits that can have damaging effects on their teeth. From eating certain types of foods to skipping tooth brushing sessions, you may be compromising your oral health without even knowing it. The team at Wahiawa & Pearl Family Dental Care in Pearl City, HI, is here to provide preventive care tips for patients and can answer any questions you have about dental care and your oral health.

Approximately 15 million people suffer a stroke worldwide each year, of those 5 million die and another 5 million are permanently disabled Mackay et al (2004). Stroke tends to affect people over the age of 75 (Scarborough et al 2009). Since almost 70% of people over 75 retain some teeth (Todd and Laden 1998), maintaining a healthy mouth is important for elderly stroke patients. Not only does effective oral care play a central role in the prevention of infection, a healthy mouth also makes a real difference to a person’s quality of life (McGrath and Bedi 1998) and maintenance of nutritional status (Jones 1998) .For these reasons, this dissertation will examine the benefits of good oral hygiene for elderly stroke patients and nurses role in

Over the years, the documentation of the patient’s oral health has remained fairly consistent. Chaz’s home care indicates he possess a good attitude towards oral hygiene and is highly motivated. He claims to brush two times a day, floss once a day, and uses Listerine mouth wash two times daily, yet his plaque index was fairly high, reaching 57%. At his final appointment the increase in plaque accumulation could be related to the patient’s recent injuries. Experiencing constant pain could detour, distract, or change the motivation he once had to perform the necessary hygiene procedures to keep his periodontal condition from increasing. After examining his technique with string floss and our test drive electric tooth brushes, I noticed that when brushing he focuses the most on the mid and incisal edges of the teeth rather than the gum line. Remembering our recent lecture from Dr. Parker and how he emphasized that, with geriatrics, the technique is not as important as simply getting the job done; I recommended to the patient to focus on keeping half of the brush head on the gum line and the other

Just because some people are getting older doesn't mean you should stop caring for your teeth. Tooth decay may develop on an old restorative care, so you should still be visiting your dentist on a regular basis. There has been statistics that gum disease mostly develop in adults. The aging should still be taking care of their most important part of their body which is there teeth. Because some elders might believe in the saying “ if it aint broke, dont fix it”, its not so helpful at all. It doesn't have to be broken to get fixed but if your teeth are rotting and damaging while you age you should be getting them fixed. (“Adult Dental Health”) That is why there are such things as dentures that can be put in as you age. Dentures are a replacement for teeth for a lifetime , but it doesn't mean you shouldn't take care of them because