Geriatric oral health. Quality of life and oral care in Icelandic nursing homes

• Main Author: Sigurðardóttir, Aðalheiður Svana
• Other Authors: Inga Bergmann Árnadóttir, Alfons Ramel, Tannlæknadeild (HÍ), Faculty of Odontology (UI), Heilbrigðisvísindasvið (HÍ), School of Health Sciences (UI), Háskóli Íslands, University of Iceland
• Format: Doctoral or Postdoctoral Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: University of Iceland, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Odontology 2022
• Subjects: Tannheilsa; Hjúkrunarheimili; Doktorsritgerðir; Oral health; Geriatric nursing; Nursing home; Ouality of life; Lífsgæði; Öldrunarhjúkrun; quality; Reykjavík
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11815/3260

Background: Good oral health is fundamental for general health, wellbeing and quality of life for all age groups. Little information exists on the oral health of older adults living in Icelandic nursing homes and how they perceive their oral health and quality of life (Paper I, II). Further, regular oral hygiene is important for oral health promotion and preventing the development of oral diseases, especially for frail older adults living in long-term care. The literature contains little information on oral care in nursing homes and regarding oral health attitudes and beliefs among nursing home staff. Aim: First, this work aimed to screen oral health among residents in Icelandic nursing homes and explore the association between the number of decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT), dental prostheses, oral health problems, nutrition problems and quality of life (Papers I, II). Second, it aimed to study oral health beliefs and attitudes to oral care among staff working in these same nursing homes and compare the results between professions, along with the association between positive and negative oral health beliefs and oral care (Paper III). Methods: Papers I and II report a cross-sectional study of 82 residents living in two nursing homes. Their oral health was screened according to international standards using the Oral Health Survey (OHS) and Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-49) to collect data on residents’ self-perceived oral health problems and their association with functional, physical, and social limitations and quality of life (Paper I). The self-perceived oral health problems and the association between oral health and nutrition problems were also studied using specific questions from the OHIP-49 (Paper II). Paper III was a cross-sectional study among nursing staff (N = 200) working in two nursing homes in Reykjavík and nearby municipalities. Data were collected using the Nursing Dental Coping Belief Scale (DCBS) to study their beliefs about being able to control oral health outcomes with oral care. ...