Summary: Improving Mouth Care

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

Research has shown that staff training in oral hygiene and the use of an individualised Oral Hygiene Care Plan is beneficial to the resident and also the nurse and will allow appropriate care (National Guideline Clearing house [NGC], 2003).

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).

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

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

As a dental nurse at the Eastman Dental Hospital I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with dental hygienists in the preventative management of head and neck cancer patients, ensuring long term oral health of the dentition and preventing unwanted effects of tooth loss after radiotherapy. Inspired by this experience and with a strong desire to help others, I decided to pursue a career in dental hygiene and therapy to make a difference in people's lives through oral health care.

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

As dental hygienists we are members of the healthcare community. That means that we have an extremely important role when it comes to the health of our patients. When patients present themselves in our treatment room, it is our responsibility to make sure we do not leave anything unexamined. We are professionals in the practice of identifying, preventing, and treating oral diseases. We do this by completing thorough extraoral and intraoral exams and being conscious of what to look for. One particular exam that we do is an oral cancer exam. As dental hygienists we are at the forefront in identifying this disease. In an article written by Nancy Burkhart, a coauthor of General and Oral Pathology for the Dental Hygienist, she states, “It is known that oral cancer is more likely to be detected in an early stage in the dental office than those found at a physician’s office, which tend to be at a later stage.” (Burkhart, 2014) This may be because dental hygienists focus more on the oral tissues than physicians do; or the fact that patients go to a doctor when it is already at advanced stages. It is imperative that we as dental hygienists know the signs and symptoms of oral cancer, as well as the risk factors involved in developing the disease and how it can be prevented. While it is important as a dental hygienist to identify oral diseases, it is more important to educate our patients on how they can avoid any potential abnormalities from becoming severe problems,

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.

Oral cancer is a devastating disease. Over eight thousand American lives are taken by oral cancer and only a fourth of these patients do not excessively drink alcohol or smoke tobacco, which are the two main causes of oral cancer (The Oral Cancer Foundation). Survival rates for oral cancer could be much higher if the population would take precautionary measures to reduce their chances of being diagnosed with oral cancer. When the use of alcohol and tobacco are decreased, the chances of acquiring oral cancer are also decreased. By visiting the dentist at least once every year, new lesions could be found. Unfortunately, only seven percent of the population, who visits the dentist regularly, receives a thorough oral cancer exam(The Oral

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

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.