Oral hygiene training programmes in long-stay hospitals.

It is gratifying that as a direct long term result of a survey conducted by the author in a geriatric hospital in Liverpool, a dental health programme for such patients is currently being implemented by members of the Community Dental Service staff. The results of the survey indicated that the treatment need for the elderly is mainly a restorative one, largely concerned with complete dentures. The survey also demonstrated, however, that half of all long-stay patients are incapable of maintaining a reasonable level of oral hygiene for themselves and were unaware of their own dental needs. It is important that there should be supervision of these patients to maintain oral hygiene standards and ensure early identification of oral pathology. It is these problems that the programmes which are now being implemented attempt to address. This is an account of the author's involvement in their development.