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Oral health care is essential, and digital training may influence healthcare professionals' attitudes to and knowledge of oral health. The aim, therefore, was to evaluate the impact on attitudes to and knowledge of oral health after using a digital training module among Swedish healthcare professionals working within a municipality-run healthcare service for older adults. A secondary aim was to explore the healthcare professionals' experiences of using the digital module. The study comprised a survey of healthcare professionals (registered nurses (RNs), assistant nurses, and care assistants) caring for older adults in a municipality in Sweden. Pre-post-tests were conducted to evaluate the outcomes for attitudes to and knowledge of oral health and of their experiences of completing the digital training module in oral health. These were statistically explored by comparing differences between the pre-post-tests, while the open-ended questions were analysed with qualitative content analysis. The findings of this study indicate that healthcare professionals had similar perceptions of their attitudes to and knowledge of oral health both before and after the digital training module in oral health. The study also indicates that healthcare professionals experienced that it is easier to perform practical oral health care after completing the digital training. The results also show that healthcare professionals value oral health knowledge and that the digital training module was easy to use and to disseminate knowledge throughout the municipality. The findings have implications for developing, implementing, and promoting healthcare professionals' attitudes to and knowledge of oral health and in using a digital training module in combination with practical exercises in oral health in municipality health care.

Background: Oral health in Sweden is good at the population level, but seemingly with persisting or increasing inequities over the last decades. In 2008, a major Swedish reform introduced universal partial subsidies to promote preventive care and reduce the treatment cost for patients with extensive care needs. This study aimed to apply an intersectional approach to assess the impact of the 2008 subsidization reform on inequities in self-rated oral health among adults in Sweden over the period 2004–2018. Methods: Data from 14 national surveys conducted over 2004–2018 were divided into three study periods: pre-reform (2004–2007), early post-reform (2008–2012) and late post-reform (2013–2018). The final study population was 118,650 individuals aged 24–84 years. Inequities in self-rated oral health were examined by intersectional analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy across 48 intersectional strata defined by gender, age, educational level, income, and immigrant status. Results: Overall, the prevalence of poor self-rated oral health decreased gradually after the reform. Gender-, education- and income-related inequities increased after the reform, but no discernible change was seen for age- or immigration-related inequities. The majority of intersectional strata experienced patterns of persistently or delayed increased inequities following the reform. Conclusions: Increased inequities in self-rated oral health were found in most intersectional strata following the reform, despite the seemingly positive oral health trends at the population level. Applying an intersectional approach might be particularly relevant for welfare states with overall good oral health outcomes but unsuccessful efforts to reduce inequities.

Bakgrund: Den äldre befolkningen ökar samtidigt som allt fler äldre i Sverige har sina tänder i behåll. Fler kvarvarande tänder och komplicerade restaurationer i munnen ställer större krav på utförd oral hälsovård för den äldre individen och de som ger omsorg till den sköra eller beroende äldre. Tillsammans med att den orala hälsan påverkar och påverkas av individers allmänhälsa och livskvalitet, blir omsorgspersonalens handlingar och beteenden avgörande. Därav finns ett intresse av att studera hur beteenden ser ut hos omsorgspersonal inom äldrevården. Syfte: Att beskriva attityden till och kunskapen om oral hälsovård för sköra eller beroende äldre hos ett begränsat antal omsorgspersonal inom Uppsala Kommun. Metod och material: En enkätstudie med totalt 82 personal inom hemtjänst respektive vård- och omsorgsboende utfördes. Mätinstrumentet som användes var nursing Dental Coping Beliefs Scale. Deskriptiva data presenterades samt analyserades. Resultat: Det blev totalt 53 enkätsvar som användes i studien. Medelvärdet för totala poängen av enkäten var tämligen lågt, detsamma gäller för oral hälsotro, självtillit, intern- och externt locus of control. Extern locus of controll visades signifikant högre för personalen inom vård- och omsorgsboenden jämfört med personalen inom hemtjänsten. Slutsats: Omsorgspersonalen visade gemensamt en tämligen positiv attityd och måttlig nivå av kunskap kring sköra eller beroende äldres orala hälsa. Det krävs fler studier inom området för en verklighetsbild då denna studies resultat visats tveksam., Background: The elderly population is increasing at the same time as more and more older people in Sweden retain their natural teeth. More remaining teeth and complicated restorations in the mouth place greater demands on performing oral hygiene for the elderly and for those who provide care. Oral health has an impact on and is affected by general health and quality of life. Therefore, the actions and behaviors of nursing staff become crucial for the oral health and quality of life of the frail or dependent elderly. Aim: To describe the attitudes and knowledge regarding oral health care for frail or dependent elderly among a limited number of nursing staff within the Uppsala municipality. Method and material: A survey was conducted with a total of 82 participants. The Nursing Dental Coping Belief Scale index was used to measure and collect data. Descriptive data were presented and analyzed. Results: The mean value for the total score of the questionnaire was relatively low. The same applies to oral health care beliefs, self-efficacy, and internal and external locus of control. External locus of control was shown to be significantly higher for the nursing care staff compared to the home care staff. Conclusion: The care staff shows a moderate level of attitude and knowledge about the oral health of frail and dependent elderly people. This study has been shown to be questionable, therefore more studies are required within the area.

Objectives: The goal of the Swedish oral healthcare system is to achieve good oral health and equitable access to care for the entire population. However, considerable inequities in oral health and care are evident and occur across a range of social dimensions. This study uses an intersectional approach to examine complex inequities in unmet oral care needs among adults in Sweden over the period 2004–2021. Methods: Data were obtained from 14 Health on Equal Terms surveys conducted during 2004–2021. The final sample was 129 473 individuals aged 26–84 years. Applying intersectional analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy, inequities in unmet oral care needs were estimated across 48 intersectional strata defined by gender, age, educational level, individual disposable income and immigrant status. Results: A high risk of unmet oral care needs was found among strata consisting of immigrants and those with low income. However, being an immigrant and/or having a low income did not universally entail a high risk but varied by the social position along other axes, particularly age and education. The discriminatory accuracy was moderate. Conclusion: Groups with certain social disadvantages are highly heterogeneous themselves. An intersectionality approach is important to prevent the risk of stigmatizing large heterogenous groups while failing to identify the most vulnerable strata. The discriminatory accuracy analysis suggested that further policy and/or interventions may be the most effective if approaching the whole population, combined with selected targeted interventions directed at the most disadvantaged social strata.

Bakgrund: God munhälsa har betydelse för hälsa och livskvalitet. För patienter som drabbats av stroke kan nedsatt egenvårdsförmåga orsaka svårigheter att upprätthålla en god munhälsa på egen hand. Munhälsovård ingår i sjuksköterskans omvårdnad som ska främja hälsa, förebygga sjukdom, återställa hälsa och lindra lidande. Syfte: Syftet var att belysa faktorer som påverkar sjuksköterskans utförande av munhälsovård hos patienter som drabbats av stroke.Metod: Studien var en allmän litteraturstudie med induktiv ansats. Åtta artiklar valdes ut till resultatet och data bearbetades med innehållsanalys. Resultat: Munhälsovård tillhandahölls inte effektivt på grund av avsaknad av kompetens och utbildning bland sjuksköterskor samt prioritering av andra medicinska uppgifter. Tidsbrist och bristande resurser utgjorde hinder för en adekvat munhälsovård. Hälsotillstånd och ovilja gentemot omvårdnadsområdet hos de som drabbats av stroke påverkade utförandet av munhälsovård. Konklusion: Kunskap bland sjuksköterskor och patienter var bristfälligt och arbetsmiljöfaktorer som arbetsbelastning och tidsbrist har resulterat i låg prioritering av omvårdnadsområdet. Tydligare riktlinjer, rutiner och utbildning kan förbättra munhälsovården hos patienter som drabbats av stroke., Background: Good oral health is important for health and quality of life. For patients who suffered a stroke, impaired self-care can cause difficulties in maintaining good oral health on their own. Oral health care is part of the nurse’s care, which is to promote health, prevent disease, restore health and relieve suffering. Aim: The aim was to highlight factors affecting the nurse’s execution of oral health care in patients who had suffered a stroke. Method: The study was a general litterature study with an inductive approach. Eight articles were selected for the result and data were processed with content analysis. Results: Oral health care was not provided effectively due to lack of skills and training among nurses and prioritization of other medical tasks. Lack of time and resources were obstacles for an adequate oral health care. Patients who suffered a stroke’s health status and reluctance towards the nursing field influenced the performance of oral health care. Conclusions: Knowledge among nurses and patients were deficient and work environment factors such as workload and lack of time have resulted in low prioritization of the nursing area. Clearer guidelines, routines and training can improve oral health care in patients who suffered a stroke.

Life expectancy in industrialized countries has steadily risen in recent decades and the aim in Finland is to support older people to live in their own homes for as long as possible. This is ensured by means of the Old-Age Services Act, under which geriatric home care nurses support the well-being of these people and help them with their daily activities. The overall aim of this doctoral thesis was to examine the knowledge, beliefs and perceptions of geriatric home care nurses in relation to oral health care for older people. A further aim was to investigate the experiences of the nurses and the challenges they face in providing this oral health care. Out of the geriatric home care nurses employed by Kallio Primary Care Services (KPCS), 75% (n=106) participated in a questionnaire survey investigating their beliefs and knowledge with regard to oral health care in older people, as described in Paper I. Factor analysis revealed suitable factors and the factor sum scores were analysed in relation to background variables. In Paper II, home care nurses employed by KPCS (n=10) participated in semi-structured face-to-face interviews on four themes: oral health care for older people and related procedures for geriatric home care nurses, the importance of oral health care for older people, training for home care nurses in oral health care for older people, and the nurses’ own oral health care habits. For Paper III, 18 geriatric home care nurses from the Central Ostrobothnia Social and Health Services participated in an interactive education and answered a questionnaire before and after the education. Their comments and opinions were then analysed qualitatively. The results showed that the home care nurses appreciated their opportunity to promote oral health. They hoped to be given in-house training and believed this would improve the standards of oral health care for older people. Most of them knew that gingivitis and tooth decay are preventable, but their ability to, Tiivistelmä Viime vuosikymmeninä eliniän odote teollisuusmaissa on jatkuvasti noussut. Suomessa ikääntyneiden kotona asumista pyritään tukemaan mahdollisimman pitkään. Vanhuspalvelulain tavoitteena on varmistaa ikääntyneille palvelut kotona. Kotihoitaja varmistaa ikääntyneen hyvinvointia ja auttaa päivittäisissä toiminnoissa. Väitöskirjatyön yleisenä tavoitteena oli selvittää kotihoitajien tietämystä, uskomuksia ja näkemyksiä ikääntyneiden suunterveyteen liittyen. Tavoitteena oli myös selvittää kotihoitajien kokemuksia ja heidän kohtaamiaan haasteita ikääntyneiden suunhoidossa. Kyselytutkimukseen, jonka tavoitteena oli selvittää kotihoitajien uskomuksia, tietämystä ja käsityksiä ikääntyneiden suunhoidosta, osallistui 75 % Peruspalvelukuntayhtymä (PPKY) Kallion kotihoitajista (n=106). Kvalitatiivisessa jatkotutkimuksessa haastateltiin PPKY Kallion kotihoitajia (n=10). Puolistrukturoidut haastattelut sisälsivät neljä teemaa: ikääntyneiden suunhoito ja kotihoitajien suunhoitotoimenpiteet ikääntyneiden luona, ikääntyneiden suunhoidon merkitys, ikääntyneiden suunhoitoon liittyvä koulutus ja kotihoitajien omat suunhoitotottumukset. Kolmanteen osatutkimukseen osallistui 18 kotihoitajaa Keski-Pohjanmaan sosiaali- ja terveyspalvelukuntayhtymä Soitesta. Kotihoitajat osallistuivat koulutukseen ja vastasivat kyselyyn ennen ja jälkeen koulutuksen. Hoitajien kommentit ja mielipiteet analysoitiin laadullisen tutkimuksen menetelmällä. Tutkimuksen tulokset osoittivat, että kotihoitajat suhtautuivat myönteisesti suunterveyden edistämiseen ja uskoivat lisäkoulutuksen parantavan ikääntyneiden suunhoitoa. Hoitajat tiesivät, että ientulehdus ja hampaiden reikiintyminen ovat ehkäistävissä, mutta hoitajien minäpystyvyydessä on parannettavaa. Kotihoitajat toivoivat työpaikalla toteutettavaa interaktiivista koulutusta. Tutkimuksessa kehitetyn kyselykaavakkeen todettiin soveltuvan mittaamaan hyvin kotihoitajien minäpystyvyyttä, tietämystä ja haasteita ikääntyneiden suunhoidossa. Kotihoitajat

BACKGROUND: Healthcare professionals' attitudes to and knowledge of oral health are fundamental to providing good oral health care to older adults. One instrument that assesses healthcare professionals' attitudes to and knowledge of oral health in a Swedish context is the "Attitudes to and Knowledge of Oral health" (AKO) questionnaire. Two of the three item-groups of the AKO have previously been validated in a Swedish context. However, it is crucial that all three item-groups are validated, and beneficial to design a shorter, easy-to-use questionnaire for healthcare professionals while maintaining adequate integrity of its reliability and validity. Therefore, the present study aims to develop a short-form version of AKO and to secure its psychometric properties. METHODS: Psychometric evaluation with Classical Test Theory and Item Response Theory to validate and shorten AKO with 611 healthcare professionals from a population of 1159 working in a municipality in an urban area in western Sweden. RESULTS: Of the original 16 items in the AKO, 13 were shown to warrant retention in the abbreviated/shortened form. These showed acceptable validity and reliability for assessing healthcare professionals' attitudes to and knowledge of oral health. CONCLUSION: This validated short-form version of AKO shows acceptable validity and reliability after being reduced to 13 items, structured in a 3-part scale. The items are consistent with the total scale, indicating that the internal consistency is acceptable. Future studies should be performed to evaluate AKO in other groups of healthcare professionals, across cultures, languages, and so on, to investigate its use and strengthen its validity and reliability.

Background/purpose: Oral health care provision in long-term care settings is often limited by specific behaviors exhibited by residents, which may be interpreted as a refusal of care. Such behaviors can be attributed to oral tactile hypersensitivity (TH), which is characterized by aberrations in the perception of oral stimuli. TH is also associated with a decline in ingestion and swallowing function. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a technique for mitigating TH (TMH) among institutionalized older persons. Materials and methods: In this study, 18 institutionalized older persons (Mean age, 90.6 +/- 4.5 years; 92.9% females) with TH were randomized to a control group or an intervention group. Pre-and post-intervention assessments were conducted for seven participants in each group. Routine oral care was provided by the facility's staff in both groups. TMH in the intervention group was performed by a dental hygienist over a 3-month period. Results: In the intervention group, the number of areas with TH was significantly reduced (P Z 0.027). No significant change was observed in the control group.

Objectives: A proof-of-concept study has shown that the Added Value for Oral Care (ADVOCATE) Field Studies approach (academic detailing with feedback data) is considered a feasible, useful, and acceptable way to motivate general dental practitioners (GDPs) to reflect on and, if required, change their oral health-care delivery. The aims of this proof-of-principle study were to test whether such results were reproducible and to reach consensus among stakeholders on recommendations for wider implementation. Methods: Eleven groups of GDPs were recruited in 6 countries (Denmark, England Germany, Hungary, Ireland, and The Netherlands). Each group had 3 academic detailing meetings, being stimulated by feedback data. Focus group interviews were held to evaluate the reproducibility of the Field Studies approach. A World Café session explored suggestions for the wider implementation of the approach. Results: Replicable results on feasibility, acceptability, and usefulness of the Field Studies approach were seen; 7 out of 9 themes identified in the proof-of-concept study were validated. Directed content analyses identified that adjustments to procedures to collect and present feedback data were desirable. Overall, the approach can stimulate GDPs to reflect on and change aspects of their oral health-care delivery. Conclusions: The Field Studies approach, after some adjustments to data collection procedures, is ready for further testing in larger studies.

BACKGROUND:Dentists contribute to the prevailing opioid epidemic in the United States. Concerning the population enrolled in Medicaid, little is known about dentists' opioid prescribing. METHODS:The authors performed a retrospective cohort study of beneficiaries of Medicaid in Washington state with dental claims in 2014 and 2015. The primary outcome was the proportion of dental visits associated with an opioid prescription. The authors categorized visits as invasive or noninvasive by using procedure codes and each beneficiary as being at low or high risk by using his or her prescription history from the prescription drug monitoring program. RESULTS:A total of 126,660 (10.3%) of all dental visits, most of which were invasive (66.9%), among the population enrolled in Medicaid in Washington state was associated with opioid prescriptions. However, noninvasive dental visits and visits for beneficiaries who had prior high-risk prescription use were associated with significantly higher mean days' supply and mean quantity of opioids prescribed. Results from the multivariate logistic regression showed that the probability of having an opioid-associated visit increased by 35.6 percentage points when the procedures were invasive and by 11.1 percentage points when the beneficiary had prior high-risk prescription use. CONCLUSIONS:This baseline of opioid prescribing patterns after dental visits among the population enrolled in Medicaid in Washington state in 2014 and 2015 can inform future studies in which the investigators examine the effect of policies on opioid prescribing patterns and reasons for the variability in the dosage and duration of opioid prescriptions associated with noninvasive visits. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS:Dentists must exercise caution when prescribing opioids during invasive visits and to patients with prior high-risk prescription use.

BackgroundSmokers are at increased risk of oral disease. While routine dental care can help prevent and treat oral health problems, smokers have far lower rates of dental care utilization compared with non-smokers. We sought to better understand which factors may facilitate or hinder dental care utilization among low-income smokers participating in a randomized intervention trial in order to inform future intervention planning.MethodsThis is a secondary analysis of data collected between 2015 and 2017 as part of the OralHealth4Life trial. Participants were eligible callers to the Louisiana, Nebraska, and Oregon state tobacco quitlines who had no dental appointment in the prior or upcoming six months. We examined the association between participants' baseline characteristics and their receiving professional dental care between baseline and the 6-month follow-up survey.ResultsParticipants were racially diverse (42% non-White) and two-thirds had an annual household income under $20,000. Most (86.7%) had not had a dental cleaning in more than one year. Commonly cited barriers to dental care included cost (83.7%) and no dental insurance (78.1%). Those with dental insurance were more likely to see a dentist at follow-up (RR 1.66). Similarly, those reporting a dental insurance barrier to care were less likely to see a dentist at follow-up (RR 0.69); however, there was no significant utilization difference between those reporting a cost barrier vs. those who did not. After controlling for these financial factors, the following baseline characteristics were significantly associated with a higher likelihood of dental care utilization at 6 months: higher motivation (RR 2.16) and self-efficacy (RR 1.80) to visit the dentist, having a disability (RR 1.63), having a higher education level (RR 1.52), and having perceived gum disease (RR 1.49). Factors significantly associated with a lower likelihood of dental care utilization included being married (RR 0.68) and not having a

Objectives: This study investigates nurses’ self-reported experiences and perceptions of older people’s oral health care using a qualitative method. Methods: We interviewed 10 nurses working in geriatric home care who regularly visit and take care of older people in their homes. The interviews consisted of semi-structured questions. The interviews were then transcribed and analysed. Results: All nurses were aware of the connection between oral health and general health, but more detailed knowledge about oral health was lacking and confidence in oral health care practices was limited. Many of the interviewees noted the cleaning of removable dentures and problems related to them, but did not mention anything about periodontal diseases. Oral health education among the nurses was rare. The nurses reported lack of time to take care of their clients’ oral health. As possible development steps, the interviewees suggested that including oral health care in the daily treatment plan would improve oral health care practices. Conclusions: The nurses’ lack of knowledge about oral health care and uncertainty in oral health practices among older people are major problems in daily geriatric home care. Oral health education and confidence in oral health practices should be improved in both basic and on-the-job education.

Globally, dental caries has been one of the most prevalent diseases and more common of children living in rural areas. Good oral health practices were started the early age lead to healthy teeth and gums later in life. Promotion and prevention are the most important processes in improving the students’ oral health, which will result in decreasing occurance of dental caries.Objective: The general aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness an oral health promotion project among 1st-grade students in a primary school. The specific objectives were to assess 1) 1st-grade students’ attitudes towards oral health. 2) oral health knowledge of their parents and teachers in a primary school, Yala province.Study Design: A cross-sectional descriptive study proceeded in a primary school, Yala province. The sample included 132 1st-grade students, 32 parents, and 6 teachers in the school. The instruments used in this study were 1) questionnaire about oral health self-care attitudes for students and 2) questionnaire about oral health care knowledge for parents and teachers. The descriptive statistic used in this study were percentage, mean, standard deviation and paired samples t-test was used to compare oral health knowledge of the parents and teachers, before and after they attended the project.Result: The result in this study shows mean score oral health attitudes among 1st-grade students was fairly high (M= 2.54 S.D.=0.38). There were no statistically significant differences in oral health knowledge of the parents and teachers, previously and afterward they attended the project.Conclusion: To have better oral health, every aspect including knowledge, attitude and practice should be improved altogether. The oral health promotion by interventions should be done, especially in parents who are responsible in taking care of children.

Despite efforts that increased dental visits at federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) by 65 percent between 2007 and 2014, only 21 percent of FQHC patients received dental services in 2015-not altogether surprising, given that most such facilities do not offer dental services on site. Many of these facilities are part of multisite organizations that offer dental services at other locations; however, sites with co-located dental and medical services often serve only a fraction of their primary care patients. This article describes an initiative, funded by First 5 LA and led by the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), designed to improve access to and quality of oral health care for young children at twenty Los Angeles County FQHCs with co-located medical and dental services. The UCLA-First 5 LA Oral Health Program supported infrastructure enhancements, technical assistance, clinical training, quality improvement, health education for parents and caregivers, and related policy analyses. Findings demonstrate a twofold increase in diagnostic and treatment services capacity for young children and a threefold increase in preventive services capacity after two years. Investments in infrastructure, plus support for training and quality improvement focused on medical and dental integration, were crucial to these capacity increases.

Background: Oral and dental diseases is a major part of the global disease burden. Poor oral health has a significant impact on the general well-being of people. In contrast with prior decades high rates of oral diseases may be found in low- and middle income countries. Populations that are particularly vulnerable are more likely to develop poor oral health. As a consequence of human distress related to war, poverty and natural disasters the accomplishments of humanitarian aid organizations has a direct impact on people´s health and well-being. Purpose: The aim of the present study is to examine the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement as well as Doctors without borders concerning documents and guidelines on oral health. A further aim is to explore the knowledge of oral health related topics of delegates from the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Method: The study is designed as a literature review and a questionnaire survey. Results: Within the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and Doctors Without Borders there are a limited number of guidelines on oral health and they are rarely mentioned in the same documents as non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The responses of the study revealed that the participants generally have a limited knowledge about measures on oral health in the IFRC. Conclusion: Both the literature review and the questionnaire survey study confirms that there is an absence of clear and specific guidelines on oral health care related activities within IFRC., Bakgrund: Mun- och tandsjukdomar utgör en stor del av den globala sjukdomsbördan. Dålig mun- och tandhälsa har en stark påverkan på det allmänna välbefinnandet. I motsats till tidigare, ses idag höga frekvenser av karies även i låg- och medelinkomstländer. Populationer vilka befinner sig i extra utsatta kontexter löper större risk att utveckla dålig munhälsa. Som en följd av mänskligt lidande i form av händelser relaterade till krig, fattigdom och naturkatastrofer har aktiviteter utförda av humanitära hjälporganisationer en direkt inverkan på hälsa och välbefinnande. Syfte: Syftet med föreliggande studie är att studera dokument och riktlinjer rörande munhälsa inom Internationella Röda korset och Röda halvmånen och Läkare utan gränser. Ett ytterligare syfte är att undersöka kunskapen om hälsorelaterade frågor kring munhälsa hos delegater från Internationella federationen för Röda Korset och Röda Halvmånen (IFRC). Metod: Studien är utförd som en litteratur-sammanställning och som en enkätundersökning. Resultat: Inom Internationella Röda korset och Röda halvmånen samt Läkare utan gränser återfinns begränsat antal riktlinjer rörande oral hälsa vilka dock sällan nämns i samma dokument som icke-smittsamma sjukdomar (NCDs). Av enkätsvaren i studien framgår det att de medverkande generellt har en begränsad kunskap kring åtgärder rörande munhälsa inom IFRC. Konklusion: Deltagarna i denna studie bekräftar resultaten i litteraturstudien om en avsaknad av tydliga och konkreta riktlinjer för munhygienrelaterade aktiviteter inom IFRC.

The Maryland Healthy Smiles Dental Program is a Medicaid program that covers dental services you or your child needs to stay healthy.

The Maryland Oral Health Resource Guide is produced by the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Office of Oral Health to assist children, adults, patients with special health care needs and their caregivers and advocates with finding affordable public health dental care services in Maryland and in the immediate surrounding regions.

Bakgrund: En god munhälsa betyder mycket för välbefinnandet och området är sparsamt studerat inom palliativ vård. För att kunna bedöma munstatus på ett strukturerat sätt rekommenderas Revised Oral Assessment Guide (ROAG) att användas i Sverige. Året som studien utfördes gavs en prestationsersättning till alla svenska kommuner som använde ROAG och dokumenterade munhälsa i det nationella kvalitetsregistret senior alert. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att undersöka om munhälsobedömningar gjorts enligt ROAG, och om åtgärderna som vidtagits stämmer överens med ROAGs rekommendationer. Det har även studerats om läkare eller tandläkare konsulterats, då allvarliga problem med munhälsan upptäcktes. Metod: En retrospektiv kvantitativ studie ägde rum på en palliativ slutenvårdsavdelning Pappersjournaler av 68 patienter granskades. Patienter som inte var i en palliativ fas eller som hade gått bort inom en vecka efter ankomst exkluderades från studien. En granskningsmall och anteckningsblock användes för att kunna sammanställa all dokumentation från journalerna. Resultat: Resultatet visade brist på dokumentation inom området munvård, och ROAG formuläret hade använts i en av 68 journaler. Det fanns få beskrivna åtgärder. Av 103 identifierade problemområden fanns 8 problemområden där åtgärderna fullständigt stämde överens med ROAG. 29 patienter hade läkemedel mot munsvamp ordinerat av läkare. Av dessa 29 fanns 12 journaler där det inte stod någonting om munvård, utom just i läkemedelslistan. Slutsats: Denna studie tyder på att det finns brister i dokumentationen av munhälsa och munvård. Bristerna skulle kunna leda till ett onödigt vårdlidande för patienten. Orsaken till detta behöver undersökas, och rutiner för munvårdsbedömningar bör säkerställas., Background: Good oral health is important for general wellbeing and there is a lack of studies within this area. In Sweden it is recommended that Revised Oral Assessment Guide (ROAG) is used in order to assess oral health in a structured way. The year the study was performed a monetary performance reward was given to all Swedish counties if they used ROAG and documented oral health in a Swedish national register called senior alert. Aim: The aim of this study was to examine if oral health care assessments had been made using ROAG (revised oral assessment guide), and weather the measures that were made coincided with ROAGS recommendations. The aim also included studying if a doctor or dentist were consulted, if serious problems with oral health were discovered. Method: A retrospective study took place at a hospice. The printed journals of 68 patients were studied. Patients who were not in a palliative phase, or had passed away within a week of arrival were excluded from the study. A review template and a notebook were used to compile the documentation from the journals. Result: The result showed a lack of documentation of oral health and that the ROAG form was only used in one of 68 journals. There were few documented actions mentioned to rectify identified problems. Amongst 103 problem areas there were 8 that had actions mentioned that coincided with ROAGs recommendations. 29 patients had an oral antifungal drug prescribed by a doctor. Amongst these 29 patients there were 12 journals that did not mention oral health care in any way, except from on the medical ordination list. Conclusion: This study showed that there was a lack of documentation within the nursing field of oral health care. This could lead to unnecessary suffering for the patient. The reason behind this should be examined, and routines for the use of oral assessment guides should be secured.

Background: Recent studies have reported an association between periodontal disease and mortality among dialysis patients. Therefore, preventive dental care should be considered very important for this population. In Japan, no systematic education has been undertaken regarding the importance of preventive dental care for hemodialysis patients—even though these individuals tend to have oral and dental problems. The aim of this study was to investigate the current state of collaborative relationships between hemodialysis facilities and dental services in Japan and also to identify strategies to encourage preventive dental visits among hemodialysis outpatients. Methods: A nationwide questionnaire on the collaborative relationship between dialysis facilities and dental facilities was sent by mail to all medical facilities in Japan offering outpatient hemodialysis treatment. Results: Responses were obtained from 1414 of 4014 facilities (35.2%). Among the 1414 facilities, 272 (19.2%) had a dental service department. Approximately 100,000 dialysis outpatients were receiving treatment at these participating facilities, which amounts to one-third of all dialysis patients in Japan. Of those patients, 82.9% received hemodialysis at medical facilities without dental departments. Only 87 of 454 small clinics without in-house dental departments (19.2%) had collaborative registered dental clinics. Medical facilities with registered dental clinics demonstrated a significantly more proactive attitude to routine collaboration on dental matters than facilities lacking such clinics. Conclusions: Our nationwide survey revealed that most dialysis facilities in Japan have neither an in-house dental department nor a collaborative relationship with a registered dental clinic. Registration of dental clinics appears to promote collaboration with dental facilities on a routine basis, which would be beneficial for oral health management in hemodialysis patients.

Map of dental care HPSAs in Utah. A HPSA is a Health Professional Shortage Area. A dental care HPSA is a measure of the shortage of dental providers serving the underserved population in a county, a group of census county divisions, or a group of census tracts.

Fact Sheet on Diabetes and Oral Health

Map of dental care HPSAs in Utah. A HPSA is a Health Professional Shortage Area. A dental care HPSA is a measure of the shortage of dental providers serving the underserved population in a county, a group of census county divisions, or a group of census tracts.

In patients diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the primary pathological cause of death, as determined by autopsy, is pneumonia. Research associates poor oral health with an increased incidence of pneumonia. The incidence is further elevated in mechanically ventilated, disabled and high-risk individuals. A proactive approach in oral health care could mitigate the risk of pneumonia related deaths in patients with ALS. This study evaluated whether the dental needs of ALS patients were being met. Over a three-month period 121 ALS patients were surveyed regarding their oral health status. Both written and online survey formats were employed. ALS Association Multidisciplinary Clinics and Certified Centers assisted in survey promotion and distribution. Research results were analyzed utilizing bivariate Pearson correlation coefficients to determine relationships among study variables. Results showed patients difficulty in obtaining dental health care increased by 38.7% when the responsibility of their oral health care transitioned from patient to caregiver. Also increasing the difficulty in obtaining dental health care was the length of time elapsed since patient diagnosis. An overwhelming 85% of patients responded that they had not received dental health care information at their multidisciplinary clinic appointments. Educating patients, their caregivers and ALS medical support personnel on the significance of oral health care and its association with pneumonia and pneumonia related death could have a positive impact on ALS patient life expectancy. This study supports the need for inclusion of a dental component into ALS patients' multidisciplinary clinic appointments.

Aims and objectives. The aim of this study was to evaluate long-lasting changes in the nursing staff's understanding of oral health care for cancer patients after an oral health care intervention. The study also assessed whether there were changes between registered nurses and auxiliary nurses. Background. The maintenance of good oral health care in cancer patients is essential for nutrition, recovery and wellbeing and requires the involvement of nursing staff. However, several studies reveal that the need to prioritize oral health care has not been made sufficiently clear. Methods. The nursing staff (registered nurses, n = 133 and auxiliary nurses, n = 109) on five wards at different hospitals providing cancer care took part in a four-hour oral healthcare training session, including the use of an oral assessment guide and answered a questionnaire initially and after this intervention. The data were statistically analyzed. Results. Several aspects of implementation opportunities improved, but they did not include attitudes to oral health care. Knowledge of oral diseases decreased, more for auxiliary nurses than for registered nurses. Conclusions. A four-hour oral health training session and subsequent activities improve the nursing staff's understanding of oral health care for patients with cancer diagnoses in some respects but not in terms of attitudes to oral health care or specific oral knowledge. Relevance to clinical practice. Oral healthcare education and training activities for nursing staff can produce some improvements in the understanding of oral health care for cancer patients but not in attitudes and specific oral knowledge. These areas must be covered during the basic education period or/and by a routine oral healthcare programme for nursing staff, probably including an oral healthcare standard.

Three years after providing an oral health education program (OHEP) to nursing personnel, the authors analyzed the effect of the program on knowledge of the importance of oral health and on perception among the nurses of the possibility to implement oral care in patient care. The study was based on a cross-sectional survey of all nursing personnel (N = 2,901) in five municipalities in the Southwestern Sweden, of whom 950 had attended four one-hour lessons during an OHEP in 1996. The response rate to the survey questionnaire was 67% (1,930 subjects). Statistical analysis was performed by means of descriptive and analytical statistics. The program was shown to have an independent effect on the dependent variables "knowledge of oral health" and "assessment of implementation possibilities," This study has given further evidence of the feasibility of an educational program to improve both knowledge and implementation of oral health care. through interviews with 17 nursing personnel, selected by strategic sampling. Analysis of the transcribed interviews showed that there were four strategies, related to staff education, hospital resources, and leadership motivation. The strategies were grounded in data and emerged from the interaction between the two main categories: 'the valuation of the importance of oral health' and 'the behavior towards oral health maintenance'. They were characterized as the routine, theoretical, practical, and flexible strategies, with the latter considered ideal. As increased knowledge is one important part in enhancing the nursing personnel's ability to perform oral hygiene procedures, there is a need for education among nursing personnel, primarily among those using a routine strategy.

The aim of this study was to develop a model for how nursing personnel view oral health in general and the oral health of the care receivers in particular, applying a health promotion perspective and using grounded theory analysis. Data were collected through interviews with 17 nursing personnel, selected by strategic sampling. Analysis of the transcribed interviews showed that there were four strategies, related to staff education, hospital resources, and leadership motivation. The strategies were grounded in data and emerged from the interaction between the two main categories: 'the valuation of the importance of oral health' and 'the behavior towards oral health maintenance'. They were characterized as the routine, theoretical, practical, and flexible strategies, with the latter considered ideal. As increased knowledge is one important part in enhancing the nursing personnel's ability to perform oral hygiene procedures, there is a need for education among nursing personnel, primarily among those using a routine strategy.

The aim of this study was to develop a model for how nursing personnel view oral health in general and the oral health of the care receivers in particular, applying a health promotion perspective and using grounded theory analysis. Data were collected through interviews with 17 nursing personnel, selected by strategic sampling. Analysis of the transcribed interviews showed that there were four strategies, related to staff education, hospital resources, and leadership motivation. The strategies were grounded in data and emerged from the interaction between the two main categories: 'the valuation of the importance of oral health' and 'the behavior towards oral health maintenance'. They were characterized as the routine, theoretical, practical, and flexible strategies, with the latter considered ideal. As increased knowledge is one important part in enhancing the nursing personnel's ability to perform oral hygiene procedures, there is a need for education among nursing personnel, primarily among those using a routine strategy.