scholarly journals The Role of Oral Health in Complex Emergencies and Disaster Rehabilitation Medicine

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 772-777 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vishal R. Aggarwal

AbstractThis paper presents an overview of the importance of oral health in complex emergencies. It highlights the importance of maintaining general and oral health in the acute, intermediate and long-term phases of such events which are increasing in frequency. The importance of oral health as an early warning sign for systemic disease and deprivation is also explored along with the crucial role of oral health in maintaining quality of life through adequate nutrition and speech. The overview of oral health in these situations identifies the need for training dental personnel as members of rehabilitation teams that set out to manage these disasters. They can quickly help in improving quality of life for victims by extracting carious and painful teeth as necessary, and also form part of an oral health education program for aid agencies. They can also be the first to identify systemic diseases like HIV and may also play a role in identifying victims of abuse, as non-accidental injuries can frequently present in the oro-facial region. The oral health overview concludes by describing the contents of innovative oral health packs that are tailored to prevention of dental diseases and that can be readily incorporated as part of food packs distributed by aid agencies. (Disaster Med Public Health Prepardness. 2018;12:772-777)

Author(s):  
Rebecca Iles ◽  
Melanie Simms ◽  
Alistair Ledsam

Disorders spanning a wide range of body systems may, directly or indirectly, impact upon the orofacial tissues. Specifically, the oral mucosa may be the first, or most severely affected site of systemic disease, posing significant implications for oral health-related quality of life. It is not uncommon for patients to present to their GP with orofacial symptoms, therefore a firm understanding of how systemic disease can manifest in this way is important. This article will discuss oral mucosal presentations of systemic disease, aiming to improve understanding and recognition of these conditions, allowing appropriate referral for investigation, diagnosis and management.


1991 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 74-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Meyerowitz

The population of older adults is heterogeneous and can be divided into many subgroups: the young-old, the old-old, the healthy, the sick, the frail, the mentally and physically handicapped, the ambulatory, the chair-bound, house-bound or institution-bound, and the economically advantaged and disadvantaged. This diversity is extremely important to the discussion of the oral health needs, preventive health strategies, and research agenda for the elderly. As life expectancy increases, more attention is being paid to disease prevention so that the quality of life in old age can be improved. However, the link among oral health, systemic disease, and quality of life in the elderly needs to be better-defined. There is some evidence in the literature that indicates that coronal and root caries appear to be major health problems for the elderly. This needs to be corroborated in longitudinal studies. Although periodontal disease prevalence and severity are high in some subgroups of the elderly, these appear to be in decline in the general population. Dental health-care workers must be cognizant of the oral conditions associated with systemic disease and the use of medication, a major concern in older adults. Prevention of oral disease in the elderly requires early intervention, education of the dental health team, and innovative uses of well-established preventive agents such as fluoride. An extensive research effort is needed to answer basic and applied questions regarding the oral health needs of the elderly. Federal and private funding will be necessary. The dental profession will have to demonstrate and be persuasive that money spent on research and care for the elderly is money well spent.


2017 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-14
Author(s):  
Cristina Novaes ◽  
e Tristão ◽  
Coelho Mello ◽  
Fabri Campos ◽  
Maria Chaves

Background: Oral complications of chemotherapy are sometimes unnoticed and if not treated, they can compromise patients? health and quality of life. Methods: This study aimed to assess and characterize orofacial complaints and complications, and their impact on the oral-health-related quality of life in patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy. Results: We evaluated 28 patients with solid tumors undergoing chemotherapy, through a systematic orofacial evaluation. Eighteen patients (64.2%) developed oral complications during chemotherapy and xerostomia scored the highest incidence n = 14 (50%). About oral health data, gingival index revealed greater part of patients classified with moderate or severe gingival inflammation. The mean plaque index was 25.6%. The mean CPOD index was 15.48 and was worse in patients without oral complications. The patients presented higher plaque index and the oral health impact profile showed higher mean index in the patients group that developed oral complications. Conclusion: These data reinforce the crucial role of the dentist in the multidisciplinary team, with crucial suport in the diagnosis of oral complications. Thus, a specific assistance and relieve of patient?s complaints could impact positively on quality of life.


2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 167-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cornelia Oanta ◽  
Liliana Pasarin ◽  
Irina Ursarescu ◽  
Alexandra Martu ◽  
Silvia Martu

SummaryAim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of oral health education and non-surgical periodontal therapy on the quality of life for a group of patients with type I diabetes mellitus, in Iasi, Romania.Materials and Method: The study was conducted on 21 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus which also presented a form of periodontitis. We examined: the degree of glycaemic control (by measuring the glycated haemoglobin), the periodontal and oral hygiene parameters at the baseline and after 4 weeks, 6 months and 12 months after the periodontal treatment which consisted in scaling and root planing. The patients also filled an OHIP-14 questionnaire at baseline and 6 month after the periodontal therapy to assess the quality of life.Results and Discussion: We observed a rapid recurrence of the deep periodontal pockets after 12 months in subjects with poor glycaemic control. At baseline, the highest scores for the OHIP-14 were in the sub-domains of pain, discomfort on chewing and self-consciousness.Conclusions: The prolonged poor control of glycaemia is closely related with its complications. The periodontal therapy improved (lower values) the domain codes and final score of the OHIP-14 questionnaire, proving that periodontal health has an impact on the diabetic patients’ quality of life.


Author(s):  
Antonio Carlos Eber Mendes Sá

This work aims at critical reflection on the actions that determine a good level of oral health. Health promotion is a process that can positively affect the quality of life of a population. Dental problems have a low priority compared to diseases considered to be of social relevance. Prevention of oral diseases must be developed at three levels: primary, secondary and tertiary. Self-diagnosis is extremely important, because the sooner the problem is detected and prevention services are activated, the greater the chances of an effective treatment. Among oral health problems, dental caries is considered a damage that deserves higher priority due to its high prevalence. Oral cancer gained the second degree of priority, due to its severity, followed by periodontal diseases. Education in oral health has been increasingly required, taking into account the low cost and the possibilities of dental impact on public health. Therefore, the role of educating should not be the exclusive responsibility of the professional conventionally called teacher, but of any citizen.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justine Chapuis ◽  
Francesca Siu-Paredes ◽  
Claire Pavageau ◽  
Gilles Amador ◽  
Nathalie Rude ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectiveThe aim of this study was to explore, in a sample population of people with schizophrenia (PWS), the role of the anticholinergic burden on the perception of oral health-related quality of life (OHrQoL) in France.MethodsA pilot study was performed between March 2014 and January 2016. PWS were recruited from a population in Côte d’Or department in France. Dental status was investigated using the Decayed, Missing, or Filled Teeth (DMFT) index, the Xerostomia Index (XI), and the Global Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) for OHrQoL. The anticholinergic impregnation score was recorded using the anticholinergic impregnation scale (AIS).ResultsA sample of 62 people was selected. The DMFT score was 16.5± 8.7, the XI score was 22.9±7.8, the GOHAI score was 43.0±8.8, and the AIS score was 3.1±2.8. In total, 169 drugs were prescribed to the people of our sample, and 114 different anticholinergic drugs were observed. The most frequently used anticholinergic drugs (51.40%), in the study had a low antimuscarinic potency (1 point according to AIS scale). The multiple linear regression model showed that the OHrQoL scores were significantly lower when the DMFT scores, XI score, and anticholinergic scores were high.ConclusionsThis pilot study highlighted the potential role of the anticholinergic burden on the OHrQoL of PWS. A study with a validated specific scale for the OHrQoL and a standard anticholinergic burden scale should be conducted to clarify the role of anticholinergic drugs on the OHrQoL for PWS.


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