Department of Gerodontology and Oral Rehabilitation, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Bunkyo-ku, Japan.
Division of Oral Function Management, Department of Oral Health Management, Showa University School of Dentistry, Ota-ku, Japan.
J Oral Rehabil. 2023 Dec;50(12):1446-1455. doi: 10.1111/joor.13565. Epub 2023 Aug 13.
Oral health management involving dental professionals in a multidisciplinary Nutritional Support Team (NST) is effective collaborative care. However, the indicators for the triage of oral health management requirements and selection of oral healthcare providers remain unclear.
This cross-sectional study included inpatients with malnutrition and aimed to investigate the factors associated with determining the need for oral health management involving dental professionals and selecting primary oral healthcare providers when needed.
Participants included 255 inpatients (154 males and 101 females, mean age 69.7 ± 14.4 years) aged ≥20 years who underwent oral assessment by the NST between April 2016 and July 2019. Participants were assigned to the following groups: good oral health group, oral health management by nurses under the supervision of dental professionals group, and oral health management by dental professionals group. The comprehensive oral health status was investigated using the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT). The total OHAT score ranges from 0 to 16, with a higher score indicating a poorer oral environment.
The total OHAT score had a significant correlation with the need for oral health management by dental professionals. Inpatients with denture problems required oral health management from dental professionals. The optimal cutoff value of the total OHAT score for determining the need for oral health management was four.
The need for oral health management by dental professionals increased with worsening oral health status, especially denture problems. The OHAT score could be used to triage inpatients who require oral health management collaborated with dental professionals.
涉及多学科营养支持团队（NST）中牙科专业人员的口腔健康管理是有效的协作护理。然而，口腔健康管理需求的分诊指标和口腔保健提供者的选择仍不清楚。
本横断面研究纳入了营养不良的住院患者，旨在探讨与确定需要口腔健康管理涉及牙科专业人员以及在需要时选择初级口腔保健提供者相关的因素。
参与者包括 255 名年龄≥20 岁的住院患者（男性 154 名，女性 101 名，平均年龄 69.7±14.4 岁），他们在 2016 年 4 月至 2019 年 7 月期间接受了 NST 的口腔评估。参与者被分配到以下组：口腔健康良好组、在牙科专业人员监督下由护士进行口腔健康管理组和由牙科专业人员进行口腔健康管理组。使用口腔健康评估工具（OHAT）调查综合口腔健康状况。OHAT 总分范围为 0 至 16，得分越高表示口腔环境越差。
OHAT 总分与需要牙科专业人员进行口腔健康管理有显著相关性。有义齿问题的住院患者需要牙科专业人员进行口腔健康管理。确定需要牙科专业人员进行口腔健康管理的最佳 OHAT 总分截断值为四。
随着口腔健康状况的恶化，特别是义齿问题的出现，对牙科专业人员进行口腔健康管理的需求增加。OHAT 评分可用于对需要与牙科专业人员合作进行口腔健康管理的住院患者进行分诊。
