Dental Health Education in Nursing Homes
Dental hygiene is one of the most neglected aspects of health care among the elderly, yet studies show that proper dental care might be crucial to the prevention of several diseases that are common to this age group. Education of nursing home staff is the first step to correcting this problem.
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Lack of Dental Care
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Nursing home patients are significantly more likely to experience deteriorating oral health than people of the same age who live at home. This is most often due to lack of transportation or other health conditions that make dental treatment difficult.
Need for Proper Care
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A study by New York's University of Buffalo showed that 57 percent of nursing home patients in critical condition had dangerous pathogens living in the plaque on their teeth. Twenty-nine percent of the elderly people studied developed hospital-acquired pneumonia.
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Lack of Education
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Despite these facts, nursing home staff are rarely educated about the importance of dental health among their patients.
Staff Education
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These problems could be prevented by thoroughly educating nursing home workers in proper methods of brushing and flossing. They should also be trained to examine the mouth daily for sores, abscesses and cavities.
Availability of a Dentist
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It is also important to for every nursing home to have a dentist either on staff or on call to provide regular checkups and cleanings.
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