Key Points
-
Highlights poor oral health of care home residents in Wales and compares their oral health status to similar age older people living in the community.
-
Highlights need for better oral care and prevention and monitoring mechanism.
Abstract
Background UK adult dental health surveys (ADHS) exclude care home residents from sampling. Aim To understand oral health status of care home residents in Wales using ADHS criteria.
Method Cross sectional survey of care home residents in Wales using a questionnaire and oral examination contemporaneous with, and paralleling, the ADHS 2009. 708 randomly selected participants from 213 randomly selected care homes participated including individuals with and without capacity.
Results 72.8% of residents had tooth decay. Compared to older adults examined in the ADHS, residents are less likely to brush teeth/dentures twice a day (37% vs 63%), more likely to only attend a dentist when they have a problem (63% vs 26%), have more teeth with active decay (3.1 vs 0.9), more have current dental pain (13% vs 5%) and other morbidity (open pulp, ulceration, fistulae, abscess 27% vs 10%). High decay is present in both recently admitted and longer term residents. There was some regional variation in levels of oral hygiene.
Conclusion Oral health status of older people resident in care homes in Wales is poor. Findings suggest more could be done to improve preventive care both before and after admission to the care home.
Similar content being viewed by others
Log in or create a free account to read this content
Gain free access to this article, as well as selected content from this journal and more on nature.com
or
References
Office for National Statistics. Population ageing in the United Kingdom, its constituent countries and the European Union. London: Office for National Statistics, 2012. Available online at http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171776_258607.pdf (accessed September 2015).
Chenery V, Treasure E . Adult dental health survey 2009 – Wales key findings. Sullivan I (ed). Leeds: The Health and Social Care Information Centre, 2011. Available online at http://www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB01086/adul-dent-heal-surv-summ-them-wale-2009-re13.pdf (accessed September 2015).
Monaghan N, Morgan M Z . Oral health policy and access to dentistry in care homes. J Disab Oral Health 2010; 11: 61–68.
Health and Social Care Information Centre. Adult dental health survey 2009 – Summary report and thematic series. Available online at http://www.hscic.gov.uk/pubs/dentalsurveyfullreport09 (accessed September 2015).
Chalmers J M, Carter K D, Fuss J M, Spencer A J, Hodge C P . Caries experience in existing and new nursing home residents in Adelaide, Australia. Gerodontology 2002; 19: 30–40.
Slade D, Spencer A J, Locker D, Hunt R J, Strauss R P, Beck J D . Variations in the social impact of oral conditions among older adults in South Australia, Ontario and North Carolina. J Dent Res 1996; 75: 1439.
Petersen P E, Yamamoto T . Improving the oral health of older people: the approach of the WHO Global Oral Health Programme. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol 2005; 33: 81–92.
Fiske J, Lloyd H A . Dental needs of residents and carers in elderly people's homes and carers' attitudes to oral health. Eur J Prosthodont Rest Dent 1992; 20: 106–111.
Frankel H, Harvey I, Newcombe R G . Oral health care among nursing home residents in Avon. Gerodontology 2000; 17: 33–38.
Azarpazhooh A, Leake J L . Systematic review of the association between respiratory diseases and oral health. J Periodontol 2006; 77: 1465–1482.
Pace C C, McCullough G H . The association between oral microorganisms and aspiration pneumonia in the institutionalised elderly: review and recommendations. Dysphagia 2010; 25: 307–322.
Sonde L, Emami A, Kiljunen H, Nordenram G . Care providers' perceptions of the importance of oral care and its performance within everyday caregiving for nursing home residents with dementia. Scand J Caring Sci 2011; 25: 92–99.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the care home residents and staff who took part in this study and the community dental service personnel who acted as examiners and data recorders. We would also like to acknowledge the support of the Chief Dental Officer for Wales for his support.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Refereed Paper
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Karki, A., Monaghan, N. & Morgan, M. Oral health status of older people living in care homes in Wales. Br Dent J 219, 331–334 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2015.756
Accepted:
Published:
Issue date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2015.756
This article is cited by
-
Measurement properties, interpretability and feasibility of instruments measuring oral health and orofacial pain in dependent adults: a systematic review
BMC Oral Health (2022)
-
Perspectives of community-dwelling older adults with dementia and their carers regarding their oral health practices and care: rapid review
BDJ Open (2021)
-
Gwên am Byth: a programme introduced to improve the oral health of older people living in care homes in Wales - from anecdote, through policy into action
British Dental Journal (2020)
-
How do we incorporate patient views into the design of healthcare services for older people: a discussion paper
BMC Oral Health (2018)
-
The knowledge mobilisation challenge: does producing evidence lead to its adoption within dentistry?
British Dental Journal (2018)
