The Key to Preventive Dentistry

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

Evidence increasingly shows that poor oral health is associated with functional disability that can lead to deficits and decline” (Overview of oral health, 2017). According to an article in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research, dental fear can have a significant impact on a person’s awareness of their oral health, as well as one’s pro-active steps towards prevention and treatment. Therefore, it is paramount in helping a patient alleviate their fear by listening to the patient, acknowledging their concerns, and taking things slowly (Yildirim,

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

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,

Patient compliance is difficult to achieve especially when you have a patient that is unwilling to change their habits for an improvement in their oral health. As a dental hygienist I plan to provide adequate dental care and educate my patients enough to the point where they become more compliant. I am hoping through the advances in dental hygiene we can reach a point where patient compliance is at an all time high. Having more evidence and hands on tools to show the patients

“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,

Oral health is an important part of an overall health. Oral diseases ranging from cavities to cancer are all serious threats to an oral health. Research shows that there may be a link between oral disease and other health problems such as diabetes, heart disease and stroke as well as pre-term and low-birth-weight babies. If left untreated, it can cause more complications to the oral health. Periodontal disease, root caries and infections and other oral cancer can lead to severe pain, loss of teeth and serious health conditions. As a health care provider, it is significant to realizing the connection between oral diseases and systemic diseases so that we all can deliver our services to prevent and help treat disease while it is still manageable. Expanding the role of dental hygienists might reduce the most serious consequences of limited access to dentists, and dental hygienists are potentially well suited to play an important role in expanding affordable access (1). Collaborative practice of dental hygiene

According to recent research with regard to dental problems and their optimum solutions, one in every four adults suffers from some sort of oral disease. It may also be true that individuals know the poor state of their gums and teeth but choose to ignore it. That being said, there may be several reasons behind this ignorance, including lack of information and unavailability of highly qualified dentists. However, most individuals do not realize that their slight ignorance can be severely detrimental to their overall oral health care. Individuals who possess a high sense of awareness and who realize the consequences of ignoring dental problems generally never delay in obtaining an appointment with a qualified and experienced dentist. When it comes to Oswego dental care, it is quite simple to obtain proper treatment when it comes to dental problems because there are scores of reputed and renowned dentists.

The effectiveness of preventive education is moderated by the patient's beliefs and cultural and social norms. In my home country, in the villages, it is the custom that people expect to lose their teeth by the time they are old, so it takes a lot of persuasion to get them to believe they can keep their teeth if they take care of them. Understanding different cultures increases the dental hygienist's competency and trustworthiness. It is worthwhile being part of the diversity class. Thus, during the time I study in the dental hygiene program I will have a chance to learn more about cultural differences in order to improve my communication

My personal practices to maintain good oral health are by brushing my teeth twice a day in circular motion, scraping my tongue, rinsing mouth with antimicrobial mouthwash and flossing in between the gums. I have quit drinking sodas to lessen cavities formation because it has high sugar content. When drinking cold beverages, I use straw to protect my teeth from staining. My current oral health status is good because of my personal practices; my gums don’t bleed when I floss and brush my teeth, my tongue is pink and moist and my breath doesn’t smell bad. My beliefs and practices influence the care I provide for the client because I practice the same techniques on the client as much as possible, for example:

We are in a unique position at the frontier of the healthcare system and our potential role can have significant impacts on the patient's’ oral health-related quality of life by adopting cultural humility, considering our patient’s social determinants, and providing educational information. I want to continue my research and clinic works to bring positive changes to more people’s

The classroom visit helped me understand how to communicate what I have learned in regards to preventative dentistry, into ways that the public would understand. Which overall encouraged me to better comprehend preventative dentistry as a whole. I found inspiration in the ability to educate those who are uninformed on the importance of oral health. I’m excited to share my skills as a dental hygienist to improve the lives of those around me, by meeting them where they are on their dental journey. I now have a sense of responsibility to help the community to maintain high oral health standards.

Diseases can also be transmitted by a mechanical or biological vector, an animal (typically an arthropod) that carries the disease from one host to another.

There were 54 males and 47 females subjects recruited from the University of Waterloo. The questionnaire on attitude was completed by thirty-five subjects and 66 subjects completed the assessed behavior recall questionnaire. A pretest was conducted to select the attitudes issues for the study. The subjects were exposed to a communication that was favorable or unfavorable toward tooth brushing. The remaining subjects were exposed to a communication that was favorable or unfavorable toward bathing. The subjects were taken to a room in groups of 2 to 5 and were told they would be listening to a university radio program dealing with current health problems. They were told

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.