Oral Health Promotion For 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

RIDOH Oral Health Internship- During the first semester of my 2017-2018 school year, I was able to work as an intern for the RIDOH’s Oral Health department. During my time there, I was able to learn about the oral health world outside the dental office, which was an experience I had never had in the past. I was involved in a wide variety of projects including oral health research for the purpose of improving current programs, creating new programs, and helping to identify areas where people are not taking advantage of their health policies. However, the project that I am most passionate about is an oral health survey that I was tasked to create, which will gather current information about the overall oral health in college students.

Good oral health is important for a person's sense of well being and quality of life (Fiske, 2001). Inadequate oral hygiene can lead to pain, tooth loss, oral disease,

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).

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

The patient has a four unit bridge on her upper anteriors, she has ten missing teeth

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).

Oral health care is an integral part of the US healthcare system. In 2012, Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced “The Comprehensive Dental Reform Act”, which aimed on expanding dental coverage, accessible oral health care centers, increase in dental workforce, enhanced dental education and encourage dental research. (Congress.gov). The ACA, aim to curb the national health spending, by facilitating the affordability to quality care through private and public health insurance. The purpose of this bill is to cut the healthcare costs and to reverse the “silent epidemic” of dental health status (surgeon gen). This dental bill with an integrated approach towards the preventive and comprehensive oral healthcare is estimated to provide coverage to almost 17.7 million adults. (ADA

The websites I used for my research were Center for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization. The World Health Organization defines Oral Health as “a state of being free from chronic mouth and facial pain, oral and throat cancer, oral sores, birth defects such as cleft lip and palate, periodontal (gum) disease, tooth decay and tooth loss, and other diseases and disorders that affect the oral cavity” (2015). It is necessary to brush our teeth twice a day for two minutes and floss daily. Since tooth decay has been one of the most common chronic disease among children in the United States, I found it very important to educate them that this is a preventable disease and what ways it can be

“The impact of unmet oral health care needs is magnified by the well-established connection between oral health and overall health” (Fineberg, H. 2011, p. ix). Oral health status is linked with general health, as evidenced by the association between poor oral health and chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease. Poor oral hygiene can also lead to other health issues such as, oral facial pain and digestive problems. “The silent epidemic of oral diseases disproportionately affects disadvantaged communities,

Dental health is one of the most important matters in our lives. Without proper dental tonicity, people can obtain dental problems, which can be as severe as death. In order to maintain proper dental care go to your dentist every six months. It is also important to change your toothbrush regularly, floss, use fluoride, and eat healthy foods. Healthy foods may consist of fruits, vegetables, breads, meats, and drinking water is crucial to your dental health by maintaining a moisturized mouth. A moisturized mouth protects our hard and soft oral tissues. Children and adults should know the benefits of maintaining proper oral hygiene while preventing poor oral asepticism.. Not only does good oral hygiene affects our mouth it also affects our overall health.

Even though I do not possess any illnesses, I still advocate and retain an ideal lifestyle in accordance to Healthy People 2020. Similarly, I maintain sufficient oral health, which is another critical part established by Healthy People 2020 since they presume inadequate oral hygiene has been correlated to cancers, periodontal disease, diabetes, and premature births (HealthyPeople, 2016). Fortunately, I perform good oral hygiene daily in addition to diet and exercise in order to avert maladies or any other potential predisposition.

Lastly, low income countries have 62% of the world population and there world health expenditure is 2%. By looking at this information “Evidence based intervention for all major oral diseases exist. But they are not available or implemented in majority of countries” (Beaglehole Pg 91). Please refer to appendix 5 and 6

Have you ever thought about what could happen if you don't practice good oral hygiene? Have you ever thought about the fact that cavities can lead to even more serious dental problems? Do you know that if you aren't practicing good oral hygiene, you're opening the door to dental problems that isn't easy to close? If you don't take care of your teeth,think about how much harder easy life tasks would be for you. It is not that hard to simply brush your teeth twice a day and floss them once. The effects of not having good oral hygiene are cavities, gingivitis, and periodontal disease.

Although many Americans have good oral hygiene due to fluoride and making everyday good decisions, others do not have any access at all to oral health care. Over the years, dentists have been trying to demonstrate the importance of oral care. (“Access to Dental Care”) From commercials to campaigns, dentists will continue to demonstrate to their patients as well as to the people who don't have insurance the importance of oral health care. They will teach them preventative care and some techniques on how to prevent from getting any diseases.