Hospital Visits could Badly Affect your Oral Health
While oral health is not usually at the top of your priorities during a stay in a hospital bed, you would probably expect your dental condition to at least remain at a similar level when you leave.
Recent studies however, have revealed that this is not the case and that many multiple night visitors not only leave with deteriorated dental health, but may even pick up the beginnings of oral diseases such as gingivitis. This has been found to be more frequent with those hospitalised for breathing issues.
Research was carried out in four countries; the UK, the USA, France and the Netherlands and contained 5 studies, in all cases it was found that oral health deteriorated for those patients staying over a number of days.
Other areas that hospitals have been accused of neglecting in this study are personal dignity, quality of life and personal well being. Two main reasons have been given for the decline in oral health, the first being a lower priority put on oral health when other more serious health issues are present. The second reason is due to a lack of a proper dental regime, or at best, a poor dental regime.
Even the Chief Executive of the British Dental Health Foundation, Dr. Nigel Carter, has admitted it is a problem that needs addressing, “In a challenging hospital environment, it may be inevitable that oral care is seen as a low priority, but it is clear that more needs to be done to ensure that some of the risk is minimised.”
The fact that doctors are acknowledging the problem is the first step to fixing the problem, but until then the study is advising that loved ones take an active role in making sure patients are maintaining a good oral routine and good dental health.
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