Johnson T E, Lange B M
Department of Dental Practice Management, College of Dentistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln 68583-0745, USA.
Spec Care Dentist. 1999 Jul-Aug;19(4):173-80. doi: 10.1111/j.1754-4505.1999.tb01381.x.
Directors of Nursing (DONs) from 196 of 206 Nebraska long-term-care (LTC) facilities were sent a pre-tested questionnaire. The aim was to assess available on-site dental services, existing oral health education and prevention programs as well as future needs/preferences, and the influence of 10 factors in assessing and maintaining residents' oral health. Of the 196 DONs contacted, 126 (64%) participated. Only 36% of DON responders reported having on-site dental services. DONs indicated a preference for nursing staff (NS) oral health inservice training over other educational and/or programmatic proposals. When asked to select the five most influential factors in assessing and maintaining residents' oral health in their respective facilities, DONs selected resident factors (mean, 2.8) more often than NS factors (mean, 2.2). DONs most often identified residents' (R') ability to perform oral hygiene (n = 99), R' cooperation with OH assistance (n = 98), R' interest in their oral health (n = 83), NS interest in R' dental health (n = 70), and NS time constraints (n = 69).
