The oral care practices and needs of older adults in nursing homes: Assessment of carers and patients / Pratiques et besoins de soins bucco-dentaires en EHPAD : évaluation des soignants et des patients

Good oral health preservation in nursing homes is hampered by the lack of caregivers, who are often inadequately trained, which has an impact on patients' quality of life. The aim was to assess caregivers' practices and the objective and perceived oral care needs of patients in nursing homes. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between September 15 and November 24, 2021, in three nursing homes in Mayenne (France). A self-administered questionnaire was used to identify oral care practices and caregivers' training needs. The care needs and oral health related quality of life of patients were assessed by a single dental surgeon using the OHAT and the GOHAI questionnaire. Assessments were done with 30.8 percent of caregivers, and 40.0 percent and 36.2 percent of patients for OHAT and GOHAI respectively. Oral cavity and prosthesis examinations were systematically carried out by 4.9 percent and 24.4 percent of caregivers respectively. Fifty percent of the nurses had never performed oral care. A need for practical training was expressed by 75.6 percent of the caregivers. The mean GOHAI and OHAT scores were 56.17 ± 5.69 and 6.01 ± 2.42. These scores were significantly correlated (rho=-0.34; p=0.002). Preventive oral care in nursing homes is necessary to maintain residents' quality of life. Efforts must be made to provide training for caregivers and to simplify oral care procedures for patients.

Le maintien d'une bonne santé orale en EHPAD se heurte au manque de soignants, de surcroît souvent insuffisamment formés, ce qui impacte la qualité de vie des patients. L'objectif était d'évaluer les pratiques des soignants et les besoins en soins oraux des patients objectifs et ressentis en EHPAD. Une enquête transversale a été réalisée du 15 septembre au 24 novembre 2021 dans 3 EHPADs de Mayenne. Un auto-questionnaire a été utilisé pour identifier les pratiques de soins et les besoins de formation des soignants. Les besoins de soins et la qualité de vie en lien avec la santé orale des patients ont été évalués par un seul chirurgien-dentiste à partir de la grille OHAT et du questionnaire GOHAI. Les évaluations ont concerné 30,8% des soignants ainsi que 40,0% et 36,2% des patients pour l'OHAT et le GOHAI. Les examens de la cavité orale et des prothèses dentaires étaient systématiquement réalisés par respectivement 4.9% et 24,4% des soignants. Les soins de bouche n'étaient jamais réalisés par 50,0% des infirmiers. Un besoin de formation pratique était exprimé par 75,6% des soignants. Les scores GOHAI et OHAT moyens étaient de 56,17 ± 5,69 et 6,01 ± 2,42. Ces scores étaient significativement corrélés (rho=-0,34 ; p=0.002). Les actions de prévention orale dans les EHPADs sont nécessaires pour maintenir la qualité de vie des résidents. Des efforts doivent être consentis pour la formation des soignants et la simplification du parcours de soins bucco-dentaires des patients.

[Whether or not to remove root remnants in frail older adults?] / Wel of niet wortelresten verwijderen bij kwetsbare ouderen?

Many frail older adults have a poor oral health: unrestorable broken teeth and root remnants with open root canals, commonly associated with periapical and periodontal inflammation, are often seen. Improving oral health in this growing group of frail older adults is a considerable challenge for dental care professionals. Dentists are often uncertain how to deal with root remnants and unrestorable broken teeth in psychogeriatric and/or medically compromised frail older adults. Decisions about the extraction or retention of root remnants should not only be made on the basis of preventing pain and inflammation, but also on the course of disease, life expectancy, cooperation, laws and regulations and other factors that are an issue in geriatric patients but not in regular (healthy) patients. To help oral health care professionals in their treatment choice for this complex patient group, a decision tree was developed in which both root and patient-related factors were included.

[Improvement of dental medical examination of patients of older age groups]. / Sovershenstvovanie stomatologicheskoi dispanserizatsii patsientov starshikh vozrastnykh grupp.

THE AIM OF THE STUDY: Was an improvement of dental health by optimizing dental medical examination in socially significant groups of the population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A continuous sample of 500 patients aged 65 to 95 years who applied to selected private dental organizations and public dental organizations in the period 2017-2020 was made. The clinical study was carried out by taking an anamnesis and a dental examination. The results of a retrospective analysis of the prevalence and intensity of the main dental diseases in elderly and senile people are presented, a scheme for dental medical examination of the study group is proposed. RESULTS: In a comprehensive dental examination of groups of elderly and senile people, the DMFT in the age group of 65-74 years is 18.8 [14.35-24.4], in the group of 75-84 years 20.5 [13.7-27.3], while in people from the group over 85 years 24.9 [19.05-28] teeth, in order to reduce high dental morbidity we have developed an original scheme for the procedure for conducting preventive medical examinations of older age groups of the adult population. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study indicate the insufficiency of preventive programs and therapeutic measures among the elderly and senile. The data obtained are aimed at substantiating the main directions for improving dental care for patients of the older age group in the current conditions of the healthcare system.

Survey on Availability of Domiciliary Dental Care under 16-km Rule.

In Japan, domiciliary care fees are only covered by the public health insurance system if the clinic concerned is located within 16 km of the patient's residence. This nationwide rule does not take local conditions into account and therefore may not be appropriate. The goal of the present study was to assess the current state of domiciliary dental care nationwide in view of this restriction to clarify the current situation and any inherent problems. Six dental institutions providing domiciliary dental care were selected by location (urban or mountainous area) and size. Travel time from clinics to the 16 km points and the longest time required for the journey from clinics were investigated. Two of the dental clinics were located in depopulated areas with few dental institutions. These clinics had to provide domiciliary dental care not only in the 16-km area around the clinic, but also in areas over 16 km away. Travel time to the 16-km points was between 52 and 90 min. On the other hand, the longest time for actual visiting was between 30 and 60 min. In some areas, no domiciliary dental care was available within the 16 km limit. This indicates that the 16-km area is too wide to be covered by one dental institution alone and that it poses a problem in areas with few dental institutions. This suggests that it would be preferable to consider time required to visit rather than geographical distance in forming policy. The 16-km limit often spans multiple residential areas, indicating that greater coordination is needed between the Community-based Integrated Care System and dental offices.

Self-reported oral health problems and the ability to organize dental care of community-dwelling elderly aged ≥75 years.

BACKGROUND: It is unclear how many community-dwelling elderly (≥75 years) experience oral health problems (e.g. pain, dry mouth, chewing problems) and how they manage their dental care needs. This study aimed to assess self-reported oral health problems in elderly who are frail or have complex care needs, and their ability to organize dental care when reporting oral pain. METHODS: Three thousand five hundred thirty-three community-dwelling elderly participating in the "Embrace" project were asked to complete questionnaires regarding oral status and oral health problems. Frailty was assessed with the Groningen Frailty Indicator (GFI). Intermed for Elderly Self-Assessment (IM-E-SA) was used to determine complexity of care needs. Next, elderly who reported oral pain were interviewed about their oral pain complaints, their need for dental care, and their ability to organize and receive dental care. For statistical analyses Chi2-tests and the one-way ANOVA were used. RESULTS: One thousand six hundred twenty-two elderly (45.9%) completed the questionnaires. Dry mouth (11.7%) and oral pain (6.2%) were most frequently reported. Among the elderly reporting oral pain, most were registered at a local dentist and could go there when needed (84.3%). Robust elderly visited the dentist independently (87%), frail (55.6%) and complex (26.9%) elderly more often required assistance from caregivers. CONCLUSIONS: Dry mouth and oral pain are most reported oral health problems among community-dwelling elderly. Elderly with complex care needs report most oral health problems. In case an elderly seeks dental treatment to alleviate an oral pain complaint, most elderly in this study were able to organize dental care and transport to the dentist. Frail and complex elderly often need assistance from caregivers to visit the dentist. Therefore caretakers should keep in mind that when frailty progresses, visiting a dentist may become more and more difficult and the risk for poor oral health increases.

The demand for preventive and restorative dental services among older adults.

Many older Americans have poor access to dental care, resulting in a high prevalence of oral health problems. Because traditional Medicare does not include dental care benefits, only older Americans who are employed, have post-retirement dental benefits or spousal coverage, or enroll in certain Medicare Advantage plans are able to obtain dental care coverage. We seek to determine the extent to which poor access to dental insurance and high out-of-pocket costs affect dental service use by the elderly. Using the 2007-2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and supplemental data on dental care prices, we estimate a demand system for preventive dental services and basic and major restorative services. Selection into dental and medical insurance is addressed using a correlated random effects panel data specification. Consistent with prior studies of the nonelderly population, dental service use was not sensitive to out-of-pocket prices. However, private dental insurance increased preventive service use by 25%, and dental coverage through Medicaid increased basic and major service use by 23% and 36%, respectively. The use of services was more responsive to dental insurance for women than men. These estimates suggest that a Medicare dental benefit could significantly increase dental service use by older Americans.

Efficacy and acceptance of professional dental cleaning among nursing home residents.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the impact of general and oral health status of nursing home residents in Germany on efficacy and acceptance of professional dental cleaning performed by a dental nurse. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants (N = 41; mean age 83 ± 8 years) living in a nursing home were included. Personal and general health, oral health, oral hygiene habits, and needs were investigated. Individual acceptance regarding professional dental cleaning via different devices (scaler, interdental brushes, ultrasonic cleaning) was assessed, as was the efficacy of this method using after-cleaning indices. RESULTS: Oral health among nursing home residents was impaired and independent from dementia status. Most residents (33/41) performed oral hygiene procedures independently and showed better index values than those in need of external help. Residents requiring help with oral hygiene showed increased risk profiles (higher age, more often immobile, demented, more xerostomia). The dental cleaning procedure required a mean time of 37 ± 11 min, was widely accepted (36/41), and achieved clean results (plaque index 0.1 ± 0.5, oral hygiene index 0.2 ± 1.6, Volpe-Manhold index 0.4 ± 1.6); food residues were reduced to 0 independent from cognitive status. Regarding the cleaning methods, scalers were accepted best without difference between demented and non-demented residents. CONCLUSIONS: Professional dental cleaning in nursing homes is an accepted and efficacious oral hygiene procedure among nursing home residents. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Professional dental cleaning is an efficacious and accepted method as a first step in line with strategies to improve oral health and should be considered in nursing home residents.

Changes in Oral Health and Treatment Needs for Elderly Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities Over 10 Years.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the oral health status of seniors residing in Providence Health Care (PHC) long-term care facilities in 2002 and 2012. METHODS: Staff dentists with the University of British Columbia Geriatric Dentistry Program made a complete oral health assessment of 799 elderly residents of 7 long-term care PHC facilities in 2002 and 381 residents in the 5 remaining PHC facilities in 2012. The 2012 data were divided into those for 275 residents who had received treatment in previous years and 106 new residents. All consenting residents were examined by dentists using the clinical oral disorder in elders (CODE) index detailing their medical and oral health status and medications. On completion of the oral health assessment, the dentist documented the need for specific dental treatment and reassessment. RESULTS: Comparing the cohorts from 2002 and 2012, the mean age of the residents who had CODE assessments increased from 85 years to 86 years, the proportion of men increased from 31% to 35%, the mean number of medical conditions per resident remained unchanged (2.6 to 2.5), but the mean number of prescribed medications has increased from 4.0 to 4.6. The percentage of residents with natural teeth increased from 56% to 76%. The proportion of edentulous residents recommended for denture-related treatment decreased from 21% to 10%. The 106 new residents in 2012 had higher treatment needs than the 275 original residents, but fewer required extractions than in 2002. Although the mean number of teeth per resident examined increased from 14.6 to 17.4 over the study period, the need for restorations remained at 20%, and the need for extraction of teeth decreased from 22% to 6%. The proportion of residents with healthy periodontium increased from 14% to 21%, but the need for dental hygiene services increased from 43% to 80%. CONCLUSIONS: The profile of long-term care residents who consented to an oral health assessment changed over the first decade of the new millennium, with an increase in mean age and number of prescribed medications, number of retained natural teeth and the need for dental hygiene services, but a decrease in the need for extractions.

Orofacial pain assessment and management for patients with dementia: A meta-ethnography.

Delivering dental treatment for patients with dementia can be challenging, and the complexity of treatment provision can increase as dementia progresses. Treatment at the later stages of dementia can be associated with ethical challenges and procedural risk meaning that a comprehensive patient assessment is crucial; the presence of orofacial pain is a key indication for active intervention from dental teams. To explore the process of oro-facial pain assessment and management, a comprehensive review of qualitative literature was undertaken by searching six electronic databases. No literature specific to orofacial pain assessment was identified. The inclusion criteria were widened to explore assessment and management of pain in general for patients with dementia. Meta-ethnography with reciprocal translation was used to identify key concepts and themes and synthesise information applicable to the dental setting. Three major themes arose as follows: challenges with pain assessment, challenges with pain management and logistics and education. Healthcare teams struggle with pain identification in patients with dementia though many signs were identified which may suggest a patient is experiencing pain. The long-term knowledge of individual patients held by family members and care teams can allow identification of deviation from patients' normal states; this knowledge can assist healthcare professionals in determining whether to provide specific treatments or interventions. Pain assessment tools were found to be problematic and are unlikely to be a practical solution to use for complex patients in dental settings. Education for dental and wider care teams on orofacial pain would be highly valuable; yet, this needs to be based on suitable evidence.

Orofacial pain and its potential oral causes in older people with mild cognitive impairment or dementia.

BACKGROUND: The number of people with dementia and natural dentition is growing. As dementia progresses, the degree of self-care decreases and the risk of oral health problems and orofacial pain increases. OBJECTIVES: To examine and compare the presence of orofacial pain and its potential causes in older people with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) or dementia. METHODS: In this cross-sectional observational study, the presence of orofacial pain and its potential causes was studied in 348 participants with MCI or dementia with all levels of cognitive impairment in two outpatient memory clinics and ten nursing homes. RESULTS: Orofacial pain was reported by 25.7% of the 179 participants who were considered to present a reliable pain self-report (Mini-Mental State Examination score ≥14 points), while it could not be determined in people with more severe cognitive impairment. The oral health examination of the 348 participants indicated that potential painful conditions, such as coronal caries, root caries, tooth root remnants or ulcers were present in 50.3%. There was a significant correlation between the level of cognitive impairment and the number of teeth, r = 0.185, P = 0.003, teeth with coronal caries, r = -0.238, P < 0.001, and the number of tooth root remnants, r = -0.229, P = 0.004, after adjusting for age. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated that orofacial pain and its potential causes were frequently present in participants with MCI or dementia. Therefore, a regular oral examination by (oral) healthcare providers in people with MCI or dementia remains imperative, even if no pain is reported.

Access and barriers to oral health care for dependent elderly people living in rest homes.

AIM: To report New Zealand rest home (rest home is the New Zealand term for residential aged care facilities where dependent, institutionalised, elderly people reside.) managers' opinions on access and barriers to oral health care for rest home residents. METHODS: An exploratory study using qualitative descriptive methods. Eleven rest home managers in a region of New Zealand were interviewed about admission assessments for new residents, oral health care, availability of dental facilities, staff training in oral hygiene, residents' nutritional needs and oral hygiene aids. RESULTS: Interviews with managers indicated that rest homes have no policies for the provision of oral health care and only arrange dental check-ups or treatment when requested by residents or family. Barriers to accessing care include making appointments, availability of staff and transport particularly for bedridden patients. Staff receive basic oral hygiene training only and face resistance to oral hygiene from some residents. No homes had a dental chair at their premises. All rest homes stocked oral hygiene aids such as toothbrushes and toothpastes. Electric toothbrushes were not generally promoted with cost being a key factor. CONCLUSION: While rest home managers were aware of the importance of good oral health, there are barriers to care. Finance is a challenge as dental care is not publicly funded and many residents rely on a limited income. Recommendations include policy changes to better fund oral health, specific oral health training for rest home staff, provision of mobile dental services to rest homes and the inclusion of gerodontology in the dental school curriculum.

Dental care in older adults.

Good oral health is an essential part of ageing well. Good mouth care enables people to eat, speak and socialise without pain or embarrassment and contributes hugely to quality of life and general health. Community-dwelling older adults may find access to dental services difficult, and increasing co-morbidities can make self-care a challenge. Older adults are at increased risk of dental disease, and general health complications can make access to dental services and treatment planning difficult. Further, they may find lengthy dental procedures overwhelming. Therefore, there is a need to prevent the decline in oral health in order to maintain general health.

[Autonomy in the individual oral care programme of the care-dependent cognitively impaired older patient]. / Autonomie in het mondzorgplan van de zorgafhankelijke, cognitief beperkte oudere patiënt.

The decision-making process on oral healthcare issues concerning caredependent, frail older people living in nursing homes may be complex if patients are incapable of (adequately) expressing consent or are legally incapacitated. Therefore, oral healthcare professionals providing care to cognitively impaired patients in nursing homes need background knowledge of healthcare legislation and healthcare ethics, concerning the aspects relevant to developing an individual oral care programme. In this article, attention is given to these aspects of healthcare legislation and ethics, and the guideline 'Mondzorg en verzet bij wilsonbekwaamheid ter zake' (oral healthcare and resistance of the legally incapacitated) is described. This can be applied in comparable cases.

[Oral healthcare for frail and care-dependent older people in Germany and the Netherlands]. / Mondzorg voor kwetsbare en zorgafhankelijke ouderen in Duitsland en Nederland.

To improve oral health for frail and care-dependent older people, both intra- and extramurally, in the Euregio Rhine-Waal area in the Netherlands and Germany, we inventoried barriers to oral care for the target group according to the literature, the organisation of oral care in both countries and the implications of this organisation for daily and professional (oral) healthcare and oral care. Results show most identified barriers are common to both countries, but the organisation of oral healthcare differs in both countries. The main differences lie in the financing and organisation of oral care in the intramural situation. In the Netherlands, this is to a large degree regulated and organised on the basis of the Chronic Care Act (Wlz), using the Verenso Oral Care Directive for care-dependent clients as a base for enforcement. In Germany, on the other hand, the provision of oral care in the home situation is more effectively facilitated. In both countries, various initiatives have recently been employed to improve, among other things, information supply, education and financing of oral healthcare.

[Early oral symptoms of Parkinson's disease]. / Vroege orale symptomen van de ziekte van Parkinson.

A family dentist established that the oral self-care of a 58-year-old man was suddenly inadequate. The dental hygienist who had been recruited subsequently noticed that the dexterity of the man was inadequate. The man's general medical practitioner referred him to a neurologist, who diagnosed Parkinson's disease. Due to this problematic situation, the man was off the family dentist's radar for approximately 1 year. Thereafter, a course of intensive support for his oral health behaviour was initiated. Given the progressivity of Parkinson's disease, it makes sense to aim at an oral health plan resistant to the patient's life course. The family dentist should be aware of his continuing responsibility to provide care and supervision until such time when informal and professional domiciliary care are no longer satisfactory or achievable and admission to a care facility is unavoidable. Only then can the family dentist hand over his responsibility to the geriatric dentist allied to that specific care facility.

Obstacles to comprehensive dental care in patients with sustained limitations of their decision-making abilities: findings from a Delphi study.

The objective of this study was to explore the therapeutic limitations experienced by a panel of special-care dentists in France when treating patients with sustained limitations of their decision-making abilities. We used a Delphi technique conducted in three rounds from 01 June 2014 to 30 September 2015. A first questionnaire comprising open-ended questions was addressed to 72 panellists. A content analysis of the returned questionnaires served to draft a second questionnaire comprising closed-ended questions; this was sent to the 28 panellists who responded in the first round. A third questionnaire was sent to the 20 panellists who responded in the second round to give them an opportunity to reconsider their response in the context of the second-round response group. Sixteen panellists answered the last round. A large majority agreed on the importance of providing comprehensive care, but they encountered obstacles at two time points: (i) when proposing the care; and (ii) when setting it up. The panel put forward recommendations in two main areas: (i) the training of those involved in oral health decisions; and (ii) dental care management and organization of the care system. The study provided a foundation for building future orientations in health care for patients with limited decision-making abilities.

Dental Public Health In Action: Barriers to oral healthcare provision for older people in residential and nursing care homes: A mixed method evaluation and strategy development in County Durham, North East England.

This paper presents a case study on the use of mixed methods in research into practice to inform policy. The study was undertaken as part of a review of oral healthcare for older people in residential and nursing care homes in County Durham, North East England. The findings highlighted challenges in the provision of good quality oral healthcare to older people in residential and nursing care homes and informed the county's oral health strategy (Durham County Council DCC, 2016). Key recommendations include the need to develop and implement a minimum set of best practice oral health standards within care home contracts and train care home staff in oral healthcare. The paper relates to two key dental public health competencies: (i) designing and using mixed method studies to address gaps in evidence and triangulating the findings from quantitative and qualitative methods; (ii) the development of evidence based policies. The research is relevant to: care home staff; commissioners in local authority adult and social care; public health practitioners; oral health improvement teams; domiciliary and special care dentists, dental commissioners, researchers and academics.

Effect of an oral healthcare programme on care staff knowledge and attitude regarding oral health: a non-randomised intervention trial.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of an oral healthcare programme in nursing homes on care staff knowledge and attitude regarding oral health. METHODS: The study sample consisted of the nurses and nurses' aides from 63 nursing homes, which either received an oral healthcare programme including mobile dental care or were on a waiting list to receive this programme. A validated questionnaire completed at baseline and again after the study period assessed the care staff knowledge and attitude. Paired t test, independent t test, general linear and linear mixed models were used to examine the changes in attitude and knowledge scores. RESULTS: In total, 546 questionnaires were completed by the same people from 36 nursing homes at baseline and on completion of the study. After the intervention period, knowledge significantly improved in both study groups (I p < 0.001; C p < 0.001), the intervention group significantly showing the largest increase (p < 0.001). The outcome variable attitude only showed a significant improvement in the intervention group (p < 0.001). The mixed models confirmed the impact of some aspects of the intervention on the attitude and the knowledge of the caregivers. CONCLUSIONS: The oral healthcare programme including a mobile dental team resulted in a significant increase of the care staff knowledge and attitude regarding oral health. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The integration of a dental professional team in nursing home organisations should be encouraged because it could be valuable to tackle barriers for the provision of daily oral hygiene and to support the continuous integration of oral health care into general care.

Oral Health of Children with Congenital Heart Disease at a Pediatric Health Science Centre.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to examine the oral health status of seniors residing in Providence Health Care (PHC) long-term care facilities in 2002 and 2012. METHODS: Staff dentists with the University of British Columbia Geriatric Dentistry Program made a complete oral health assessment of 799 elderly residents of 7 long-term care PHC facilities in 2002 and 381 residents in the 5 remaining PHC facilities in 2012. The 2012 data were divided into those for 275 residents who had received treatment in previous years and 106 new residents. All consenting residents were examined by dentists using the clinical oral disorder in elders (CODE) index detailing their medical and oral health status and medications. On completion of the oral health assessment, the dentist documented the need for specific dental treatment and reassessment. RESULTS: Comparing the cohorts from 2002 and 2012, the mean age of the residents who had CODE assessments increased from 85 years to 86 years, the proportion of men increased from 31% to 35%, the mean number of medical conditions per resident remained unchanged (2.6 to 2.5), but the mean number of prescribed medications has increased from 4.0 to 4.6. The percentage of residents with natural teeth increased from 56% to 76%. The proportion of edentulous residents recommended for denture-related treatment decreased from 21% to 10%. The 106 new residents in 2012 had higher treatment needs than the 275 original residents, but fewer required extractions than in 2002. Although the mean number of teeth per resident examined increased from 14.6 to 17.4 over the study period, the need for restorations remained at 20%, and the need for extraction of teeth decreased from 22% to 6%. The proportion of residents with healthy periodontium increased from 14% to 21%, but the need for dental hygiene services increased from 43% to 80%. CONCLUSIONS: The profile of long-term care residents who consented to an oral health assessment changed over the first decade of the new millennium, with an increase in mean age and number of prescribed medications, number of retained natural teeth and the need for dental hygiene services, but a decrease in the need for extractions.