The Home Health Aide: Oral Health
For many seniors, the days of George Washington and wooden teeth did not seem like such a far-fetched concept. In fact, dentures and old age were virtually synonymous. Over the last few decades, the number of seniors who do not need to go down the path of tooth loss, dentures, and oral health misery has increased.
While one of the most important steps in excellent oral health is regular dental check-ups, cleanings, and treatments, there are a number of things that can be done at home as well. Let's take a look at how a home health aide can help your senior loved one maximize their oral health.
One of the most common oral health ailments in seniors is dry mouth. The problem is so widespread that many seniors
…show more content…
A home health aide can help your senior loved one identify medications that may be contributing to their dry mouth. Many times alternative medications can be found that lessen the severity of the symptoms. Other things that help are certain mouthwashes and rinses, sucking on sugar-free lozenges, and chewing sugar-free …show more content…
Keeping the body hydrated is not just good for the body, but it keeps the mouth lubricated and washes the food and bacteria off of the teeth and gums.
The American Cancer Society notes that the average age of people suffering from oral cancers is over 62 years of age. The vast majority of these cancers do not cause pain or discomfort in their early stages so detection is done through regular dental care. When problems are not detected early, the gums receded from the teeth and form pockets that collect bacteria. The gums eventually become sensitive, bleed, impact the underlying bone causing tooth loss, and end up causing disease.
Many seniors are not able to properly care for their teeth and gums due to physical or mental limitations. A home health aide can ensure they are reminded to brush and floss daily. They are also able to schedule regular dental visits and even provide transportation to these appointments. When seniors are not able to care for their oral health at all, home health aides can provide this care for
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
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
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).
In order to evaluate if mouth care and its frequency are Gold Standard interventions to prevent VAP
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).
"Basing a virtual dental home in a school, a nursing home or other community setting allows dental hygienists to prevent or treat the majority of oral health problems on site, and also brings prevention information to patients, families and caregivers.” – Professor Paul Glassman
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
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.
be concerned because this increases the chances of accumulating an oral infection. Xerostomia can be treated depending on the starting point of your dry mouth. A hygienist should inform the patient about the treatments that can be done to help their xerostomia because its a symptom of high sugar levels. With a dry mouth, the patient could have diabetes and being in the health profession you need to be cautious of your surroundings. This is one important role a hygienist has to deal with, with a patient that has diabetes.
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
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).
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).
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