scholarly journals Perceptions of Two Older Adults Regarding the Factors and Barriers that Influence their Oral Health Care: A Case Study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dinorah Munira Hernandez-Santos ◽  
Irma Fabiola Diaz-Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Dental Care ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Oral Health Care ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
The Impact

This paper presents the results of a case study about the perceptions of oral health care, factors that influenced current oral health, and barriers to dental attention of two older adults; the study was conducted by researchers from a hospital-school of dentistry at a public university in Mexico. Two adults aged 64 and 70 years participated in this study. First, the oral health status was clinically evaluated using the Decayed/Missing/Filled/Teeth (DMFT) Index. A semi-structured interview was then conducted to learn about the perceptions of oral health care. Thematic content analysis was used to explore the data obtained using the ATLAS.ti software 7.0 version. Four main themes and their subthemes were developed. The main finding of the case study was that oral health was directly and strongly associated with the impact that it has on a participant's life, especially in the functional field of chewing. Also, the participants recognized the importance of having good oral health and see it as a necessity for living. Aspects that influenced the current status of oral health were mainly the care received during their childhood, as well as the previous dental beliefs and treatments. Finally, some of the perceived barriers to dental care treatment were lack of time, finances, and education. These findings challenge professionals to be more sensitive to past and current experiences of older adults at the time of receiving dental care. Knowing their perceptions can support health professionals to strengthen patients’ commitment to prioritizing oral health care needs.

scholarly journals Self-Reported Dietary Choices and Oral Health Care Needs during COVID-19 Quarantine: A Cross-Sectional Study

Nutrients ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 313
Author(s):  
Elzbieta Paszynska ◽  
Szczepan Cofta ◽  
Amadeusz Hernik ◽  
Justyna Otulakowska-Skrzynska ◽  
Daria Springer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Dental Care ◽  
Oral Hygiene ◽  
Oral Health Care ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Health Care Needs ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Dental Visits

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the healthcare system, including dentistry. However, it is not entirely clear whether affected patients’ willingness for regular dental visits and preventive behaviors with regards oral hygiene and diet. This is essential to understanding the potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the acceleration of dental issues in the future. It was aimed at checking the level of dental visit avoidance, self-reported oral health needs, and dietary changes. This cross-sectional questionnaire study conducted in Poland (n = 2574; mean age 44.4 ± 15.6; female 56.3%) assessed nutritional habits and dental care changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. As demonstrated, nearly half of the responders (47.1%) avoided regular dental visits, while only 0.5% used online consultations. Fears related to potential cross-contamination in dental offices dropped from 25% to 11.4% and were associated with increased BMI and age (p < 0.05). Sweet snacking/drinking confirmed 19.1%/33.2% subjects. Self-reported oral health care needs (tooth stain, calculus, gingivitis, loss of fillings) were related to frequent snacking and poor oral hygiene (p < 0.05). The study highlights that pandemic periods are covered by eating and drinking changes combined with inadequate hygiene and dental care impose health complaints in the oral cavity. This can magnify both nutritional and interrelated oral health issues, highlighting the need to implement preventive and mitigation measures.

scholarly journals Oral Health Care of Older Adults in Hong Kong

Geriatrics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 97
Author(s):  
Alice Chan ◽  
Manisha Tamrakar ◽  
Katherine Leung ◽  
Chloe Jiang ◽  
Edward Lo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Dental Care ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Oral Health Care ◽  
Care Programme ◽  
Assistance Programme

The older adult population is increasing both in number and in proportion worldwide. In Hong Kong, the number of people aged 65 or above is expected to reach 2.5 million in 2039, thus becoming one-third of the population. With this growing population, the need for dental care among older adults is expected to surge. Oral health care is one of the government’s core policy agendas and the Department of Health has emphasised its importance. It has implemented a number of policies, such as increasing the number of dental training places, setting up an expert group for oral health care policy planning, and conducting regular oral health surveys of the population. It is subsidizing several programmes, including the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme, Community Care Fund Elderly Dental Assistance Programme, Outreach Dental Care Programme, and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Programme, in order to promote oral health care in older adults. These programmes have received support and positive feedback from both the public and dental service providers. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the oral health care of older adults in Hong Kong and recommendations to enhance their effectiveness.

scholarly journals Social and Behavioral Factors, Oral Health, and Dental Care Utilization

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 799-800
Author(s):  
Bei Wu ◽  
Stephen Shuman ◽  
Elisa Ghezzi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Dental Care ◽  
Care Utilization ◽  
Behavioral Factors ◽  
Dental Care Utilization ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The U.S

Abstract Oral health status and dental care utilization is strongly associated with social and behavioral factors and health outcomes. The five papers in this symposium address how several of these factors affect oral health and dental care among diverse groups of older adults. Using data from the Health and Retirement Study, the first paper examined the impact of early childhood disadvantages on oral health in later life among adults age 51 and above in the U.S. The second paper used large-scale epidemiological data that addressed the relationship between acculturation and subsequent oral health problems. It also tested the moderating role of neighborhood disorder in such a relationship among older Chinese Americans. The third paper demonstrated the importance of examining different pathways among foreign-born and native-born Chinese older adults with regard to offspring’s support on their oral health outcomes. While increasing evidence shows that cognitive function is associated with oral health, limited studies have been conducted to examine the impact of cognitive impairment, e.g., Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and related dementias (RD), on dental care utilization and costs in older adults. The fourth paper aimed to address this knowledge gap. Results showed that AD and RD had different impacts on different types of dental care utilization and costs. The fifth paper further displayed that individuals with cognitive impairment face a significant challenge in handling dental-related medications. This symposium provides policy and clinical implications on improving oral health and dental care utilization among older adults in the U.S. Oral Health Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.

Dentists’ perception of barriers to dental care for children with special health care needs in bengaluru, india

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 3-8
Author(s):  
Mufeedha K Nazar ◽  
Divya Reddy C ◽  
Santhosh T Paul
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Dental Care ◽  
Special Health Care Needs ◽  
Health Care Needs ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Special Health Care ◽  
Validated Questionnaire ◽  
Oral Hygiene Instructions ◽  
Special Health

INTRODUCTION: Despite advances in dental care in recent decades, the oral health of people with disabilities remains poor. The treatment of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) presents challenges for the dentists that may ultimately become a barrier. Identification of barriers can be the first step in addressing the deficiencies in dental care for such patients. AIM: To identify barriers to oral/dental care for CSHCN as perceived by dentists Materials and Methods: 110 randomly selected dental professionals were interviewed through a validated questionnaire for their perceived barriers to provide oral health care for CSHCN RESULTS: Majority of respondents attended CSHCN (77.3%) and mostly provided restorations, oral hygiene instructions including preventive measures and basic restorative care. Dentists perceived concern regarding medical history (50%) and patient co-operation (38%) as the main barriers to provide dental care to CSHCN. CONCLUSION: Our findings conclude that majority of dentists are willing to treat CSHCN despite the challenges they faced. Minimizing the barriers is essential to provide comprehensive dental care to CSHCN.

Programs and Policies Targeted to Improve Access to Dental Care for Low Income Adults and Children in the US: An Integrative Literature Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Davis AL ◽  
◽  
Zare H ◽  
Kanwar O ◽  
McCleary R ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Oral Health ◽  
Health Literacy ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Dental Care ◽  
Oral Health Care ◽  
Oral Health Literacy ◽  
The Us ◽  
Access To Dental Care

Objective: The authors conducted an integrative literature review of recent studies that explored the impact of interventions implemented in the U.S. that focused on improving access to dental care for low-income and vulnerable populations. Methods: The authors conducted an integrative literature review of studies published between 2012-2018 that addressed six oral health policy spheres. 1) Community-based dental access programs; (2) Medicaid reimbursement and expansion; (3) Student loan support; (4) Oral health services in non-traditional settings and dental residency programs; (5) Programs to improve oral health literacy; and (6) Use of dental therapists. Results: The authors included 39 articles for qualitative synthesis. Numerous public health initiatives and programs exist in the US aimed at increasing access to quality oral health care. Medicaid expansion, increased Medicaid fee-for-service reimbursement rates, and state loan repayment programs have demonstrated some success in improving access among underserved populations. A diversified dental workforce, with community dental health workers and mid-level providers like dental therapists, as well as interprofessional training of nurses and primary-care physicians in oral health have also shown positive impacts in advancing health equity. Further studies are needed to understand how oral health literacy programs can affect access and utilization of dental services. Conclusions: Improvements to the oral health care safety net will require a holistic and multifaceted approach in order to reduce oral health disparities. Policy levers should work, not in isolation, but rather in complementary fashion to one another.

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