Sengupta Agnivo, Fatema Kaniz, Patterson-Norrie Tiffany, Kezhekkekara Shwetha, Poudel Prakash, Whitton Gilbert, Srinivas Ravi, Hocking Stephanie, George Ajesh
Australian Centre for Integration of Oral Health, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia.
Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Sydney, Australia.
Drug Alcohol Rev. 2025 Mar;44(3):742-753. doi: 10.1111/dar.14016. Epub 2025 Feb 18.
Alcohol and illicit drug use is linked to a higher prevalence of oral health complications. However, substance use can lead to avoidance of dental services due to anxiety and competing health priorities. This study explores current knowledge, attitudes and practices of clinicians of an alcohol and other drug service regarding promoting oral health among their clients.
Exploratory qualitative design using semi-structured interviews with medical and nursing staff working as alcohol and other drug professionals in a Drug Health Service in South Western Sydney, Australia.
Three main themes were identified: perceptions of providing oral health care to clients; barriers to promoting oral health care; and recommendations for oral health integration in alcohol and other drug settings. Oral health concerns were identified as a significant issue for their clients within the alcohol and other drug setting. Considering a higher prevalence of oral health issues among clients, staff acknowledged that oral health interventions within alcohol and other drug settings would be beneficial. Barriers included access challenges for public dental services, affordability of private dental care, limited oral health training and time constraints. Staff recommends that training/resources are required to support staff in the provision of oral health promotion to clients.
Clients accessing alcohol and other drug services often have unmet oral health needs. The clinicians who participated in this study, are motivated to provide oral health promotion within this setting, however, they require training, resources (including allocation of time) and appropriate referral pathways to support provision of this service.
饮酒和使用非法药物与口腔健康并发症的较高患病率相关。然而，由于焦虑和其他健康优先事项，物质使用会导致人们回避牙科服务。本研究探讨了酒精和其他药物服务机构的临床医生在促进其客户口腔健康方面的现有知识、态度和做法。
采用探索性定性设计，对澳大利亚悉尼西南部一家药物健康服务机构中从事酒精和其他药物专业工作的医护人员进行半结构化访谈。
确定了三个主要主题：对为客户提供口腔保健的看法；促进口腔保健的障碍；以及在酒精和其他药物环境中整合口腔健康的建议。在酒精和其他药物环境中，口腔健康问题被确定为其客户的一个重要问题。考虑到客户中口腔健康问题的患病率较高，工作人员承认在酒精和其他药物环境中进行口腔健康干预将是有益的。障碍包括公共牙科服务的获取挑战、私人牙科护理的可承受性、有限的口腔健康培训和时间限制。工作人员建议需要培训/资源来支持工作人员为客户提供口腔健康促进服务。
接受酒精和其他药物服务的客户往往有未满足的口腔健康需求。参与本研究的临床医生有动力在这种环境中促进口腔健康，然而，他们需要培训、资源（包括时间分配）和适当的转诊途径来支持这项服务的提供。
