Elsevier

Dental Abstracts

Volume 59, Issue 4, July–August 2014, Pages 214-215
Dental Abstracts

Inquiry
Frailty's impact on oral health

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.denabs.2014.03.043Get rights and content

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Background

Among older adults, there are significant discrepancies between what they believe they need in terms of dental care and what dental professionals believe they need. In addition, older adults have patterns of dental care use that do not correspond to their actual dental needs as determined by the practice of dentistry. Often frailty, or the loss of one or more areas of function, seems to contribute to these discrepancies. Frail elderly have not been studied for the effects of their frailty on

Methods

The data were collected through open-ended or in-depth interviews conducted with a group of 51 elderly subjects chosen for maximum variation in responses. The conversations were recorded and transcribed, then analyzed to determine key themes with respect to the subjects' self-reported oral and general health, oral self-care, and use of dental services. Included in the data were the subject's age, chronic disorders, use of dental prostheses, and medical record information. Based on the “Package

Results

Most slightly frail and moderately frail individuals said their oral hygiene routines remained as they had been since their youth or early adulthood, with daily tooth brushing and visiting the dentist regularly. About half of the moderately frail and most of the severely frail manifested declines in oral health care and dentist visits.The themes identified guided the assessment of these changes.

For many there was a strong desire to remain the person they had been before health declined.

Implications for Dental Care Professionals and Nursing Home Staff

For older adults who are generally more concerned about short-term health benefits than those that are too far in the future, clinical outcomes are less meaningful than patient-based outcomes, such as discomfort and quality of life. From a patient perspective, resources are more appropriately allocated to supporting daily oral hygiene than to the use of dental services unless the service is to provide relief of pain or discomfort. The perceived health benefits most valued by older and frail

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Niesten D, van Mourik K, van der Sanden W: The impact of frailty on oral care behavior of older people: A qualitative study. BMC Oral Health 13:61, 2013

Reprints available from D Niesten, Dept of Global Oral Health, College of Dental Sciences, Radboud Univ Nijmegen Medical Ctr, PO Box 9101HB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; e-mail: [email protected]

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