Oral health status among hospitalized patients

Abstract

Kneckt, Mirka, Psychological features characterizing oral health behavior, diabetes self-care and health status among IDDM patients Abstract Associations have been found between diabetes status and periodontal diseases and dental caries. In addition to biological explanations, psychological features can be proposed to affect the relations between oral health and IDDM (=insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus). The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychological features characterizing oral hygiene practices, dental visiting and diabetes self-care. The research population consisted of 149 IDDM patients, and cross-sectional data were collected by a quantitative questionnaire, in clinical examinations and from patient records. There was a positive correlation between the sum scores for dental self-efficacy and diabetes self-efficacy and, correspondingly, between the dental and diabetes locus of control beliefs. High self-esteem was found to associate with good adherence to some specific health behaviors, such as tooth brushing, exercising and insulin adjustment. When Weiner´s attribution theory was used, there were similarities in the causal thinking in oral and diabetes view. All in all, especially the perception of self-efficacy was found to be a powerful feature characterizing health behavior. There were overlapping relations showing an association of high dental self-efficacy with good diabetes adherence, of high diabetes self-efficacy with frequent dental visiting, and of good metabolic control with high tooth brushing self-efficacy, frequent tooth brushing and low plaque level. On the basis of these results, enhancement of self-efficacy appears important. These results suggest that there might, indeed, be some common psychological features for both oral health behavior and diabetes self-care. These could partly explain the relations between diabetes status and periodontal diseases and dental caries. The results can be utilized in patient-centered health education by identifying and enhancing the psychological features that characterize health behavior and health status. The results emphasize the need for cooperation between dental and diabetes health care professionals in their daily practice.

A prática da odontologia hospitalar no Brasil: uma revisão integrativa da literatura

“…Patients with higher levels of bacteria in the oral samples, presented more T. forsythia in the endotracheal tube. In edentulous patients, the same bacterial levels of the mouth were those of the endotracheal tube 30 …”

The impact of hospitalization on periodontal health status: an observational study

“…This behavior is probably due to physical or psychological difficulties, demotivation because of the depressive hospital environment and to routines that were totally focused on the illness being treated 1-2,5 . Patients should not be blamed for neglecting their oral health, as they find themselves in need of special care, whether it is related to feeding, accommodation in hospital beds, the administration of medication or of bodily or oral hygiene procedures [1][2]4 .…”

“…People's attitude toward their oral health is influenced by their personal experiences, which in turn, drive their behavior and perceptions [1][2][3][4] . During hospitalization, patients often neglect themselves, feel discouraged and even become physically or mentally incapacitated, and this may adversely affect their performance of oral hygiene care [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] .…”

“…Hospital staff tend to neglect the oral hygiene of hospitalized patients, and concentrate their attention on the main reason for the hospitalization [2][3]8 . Studies evaluating the association between hospitalization and oral health have been conducted, mainly in Intensive Care Units (ICU) [6][7]9 .…”

“…During hospitalization, patients often neglect themselves, feel discouraged and even become physically or mentally incapacitated, and this may adversely affect their performance of oral hygiene care [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] . Oral hygiene negligence facilitates the accumulation of microorganisms in the form of biofilm, the etiological agent of oral conditions such as caries and periodontal disease 8,[10][11][12][13][14] .…”