Mobile Dental Hygiene Services : Nursing Facilities, Intermediate Care Homes, And Assisted Living Facilities Essay

Experienced nurses find ways of incorporating oral care into regular assessments – combining the two encourages performing the oral hygiene care and saves time. Dale, et al. (2016) quoted an un-named ICU administrator who commented, “I would hope that they are teaching (mouth care) in the critical care curriculum.” Stressing the importance of oral care early in the training of a new critical care nurse should help to solidify the inclusion of oral care into regular daily practice.

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

The purpose of this essay is to discuss a clinical skill or nursing action by referring to the nursing and allied health literature to explain and support evidence based practice. The skill I wish to examine is the practice of oral hygiene for adults with dementia in residential aged care facilities. In this essay I aim to provide the reader with adequate references to support the best practice for oral hygiene for people with dementia.

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

The mouth and the body have always been on opposing sides of the spectrum when it comes to the topic of health care. Oral health

It is important that we have this knowledge and constantly build on it because there still isn’t any valid ground. We can say “we think this can happen” but as more studies come out we can change that thought or idea into a valid explanation. Although you can’t convince every person into believing something, having proof behind your explanation is going to be more persuasive than just stating what you’ve heard.

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

While most of the patients I interacted with were seeking non-dental care, I met patients who were seeking care to health conditions that stem from their oral health such as oral abscesses, which our team was unable to treat except for prescribing antibiotics or painkillers. I encountered similar situations when I shadowed physicians in the emergency room of hospitals, observing a variety of craniofacial disorders originating from a preventable tooth decay. From these observations, I learned that patients often did not receive treatment that addressed the root of their problems: their oral health. As the result, I learned that many physicians saw the same patient repeatedly for problems that would otherwise be easily prevented through proper preventive dental care. Determining to address the unmet needs for accessible preventive dental care, I decided to pursue a career in dentistry so that I can provide a positive and meaningful impact to the underserved community on their oral health and ultimately their overall

In order to become a dental hygienist it requires two years of college to receive an associate's degree. This will allow the hygienist to be able to get licensed in the state he/she is going to work in (Dental Hygienist). A dental hygienist just needs to have an associates

Work with staff to provide the patient with the highest standard of care by supporting any needs they might have. Setting up treatment room and ensure that all surfaces are clean to set out instruments and disposables that are needed for each patient. Pulling, reviewing and updating patient records after treatment. Fill in for the front desk if necessary by greeting patients and welcoming them in the office, scheduling next visit, re-scheduling visits as necessary, calling patients when rescheduling is necessary. I think one of the most important things to do in this job that is not mentioned so much is to remember personal details to initiate conversation with patients, as Dental Hygienist will always be seeing, and interacting with this patients. It also shows and demonstrates the patient that you are interested about their life. Remembering personal details can also be beneficial because when some patients come and sit at the dental chair their blood pressure may be high due to stress or anxiety and initiating a conversation with them, will help them relax and bring down their blood pressure. This career does not obligate you to travel, but most Dental Hygienist jobs only offer a part time, meaning they might have to travel around there area to put in more work hours, in various facilities such as dental offices, schools, nursing homes, etc. But there are facilities that hire Dental Hygienist full time, so it does not obligate them to travel. This job allows you to work inside and with staff but it is considered to be more of an independent job, because Dental Hygienist are expected to know more than an assistant because they perform more treating patients and diagnose heath issues. (Nguyen, 2018). It can be stressful but it seems to be rewarding. After interviewing Cecile Nguyen I learned a lot more about this career and understood that it is not easy but it is very rewarding as

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,

Dental hygienist focuses on oral health. They clean the patient’s teeth, tell them how they can improve their oral health, and tell the patient about any oral disease that they have or can possibly happen from poor oral hygiene. To become a Dental Hygienist you have to graduate from an accredited dental hygiene program and have a license in the state they have practiced. It takes 2-6 years to become a Dental Hygienist, they make an average salary of $55.307 annually. The dental hygienist work in many places such as: private dental practice, community health centers, hospitals, nursing homes, prisons, practice clinics, schools and state/federal government services.

The patient was keen to get her oral hygiene up to a good standard and prevent any

Dental Hygienist’s educational path can take place at community college, technical college, even universities. Most community college programs take two years to complete, this is for students receiving as associates degree. This degree allows one to be licensed, and to work in a dental office. Students also have the chose to

Dental insurance coverage is a key determinant on whether to seek care or not. The exclusion of our mouths from the rest of our body parts and not receiving the care it requires is quite impossible to rationalize (McClymont, 2015). Dental care is essential in the maintenance of good oral health and in the identification of symptoms of systemic conditions that most likely are manifested through the mouth. As striking and conspicuous as it may sound, Canada has indeed a type of health care system wherein mouth is excepted as a part of the body. As a matter of fact, our lips, tongues, and throats are securely covered while our teeth and gums are left out from the privilege. The most common infectious disease in the world are dental diseases, and the fact that many health issues can be first diagnosed through the oral cavity validates its importance and co-relevance to the rest of our body. Studies have linked poor oral health such as severity of gum infection to AIDS, first stages of osteoporosis, reveal nutritional deficiencies, immune disorders, cancer, and so on and so forth. Xerostomia or dry mouth for an instance is often a symptom of undetected diabetes. Diabetic patients have higher risks of gum infection caused by increased blood sugar, thickening of blood vessels resulting to hindered healing process that is why they are obligated to undergo pre-medication as a form