National survey of oral health care Finnish private old people's homes

Abstract

As oral health status depends greatly on the dental care arrangements available, the aim of this study was to investigate the dental services provided for elderly people living in private old people's homes in Finland. The study involved all 94 old people's homes that offered private care in 1987. The directors of the old people's homes were asked to fill in a questionnaire. The response rate was 100%. The study showed that the dental care arrangements were inadequate: regular oral examinations and comprehensive dental treatment were infrequent. In 96% of the homes the need for treatment normally came to light only when the residents themselves complained about a dental problem. In 60% of the homes the residents had to pay the full cost of their dental treatment. These must be considered the two greatest weaknesses in the dental service for the elderly in the old people's homes studied. The ignorance among the directors of the importance of oral health was alarming: only one fifth considered dental care of the elderly more important than services such as hairdressing. It is obvious that uniform regulations are needed for the whole country concerning dental services for the elderly in institutions.

The advantages of occupational therapy in oral hygiene measures for institutionalised elderly adults

“…With age, many persons neglect their oral hygiene measures due to diminished motivation, impaired cognition and/or reduced sight, sense of touch, vision or manual dexterity. Thus there are multiple reasons which result in an inadequate level of oral hygiene 11–13 .…”

A 5‐year follow‐up study on the prosthetic rehabilitation of the elderly in Helsinki, Finland

“…Removable dentures can create a suitable environment for the growth of many micro‐organisms (12–17), and the use of dentures is considered to be a risk factor for several oral diseases. In the elderly, functional dependence, impaired vision and decreased manual dexterity may further increase the risk of plaque‐related diseases (18–20).…”

Oral health care education and its effect on caregivers' knowledge and attitudes: a randomised controlled trial

“…Clients are unlikely to request greater help than is customarily offered, since the experience of institutionalisation tends to induce apathy, passive acceptance and reluctance to criticise staff (20, 21). Many clients lack the materials necessary for oral health care (22). Dental examination usually occurs only when clients complain of specific and persistent problems (5, 18).…”