Abstract
We introduced and evaluated the team approach for oral care management system consisting of dental hygienist, nurse and dentist as the professional team in general hospitals.
All patients enrolled in our study had difficulty of oral-self-care due to disturbance of consciousness or poor activity of ADL. Number of patients under our care between June 1998 and June 2004 during the period of six years were 772 (average age: 72.9) ; males and females.
In our management system, 3 of 4 dental hygienists are always on duty in the ICU/CCU and/or the wards to provide oral care to the patients and/or guidance to their familly.
We have successfully provided oral care management in maintaining the patient's oral health. Providing professional oral care by dental hygienist is extremely important in our management system, in addition to the data obtained from periodic bacterial culture examination of the oral cavity for other oral care staff members, nurses and medical doctors, by the dentist. The aqdvantages and importance of the team approach for oral care management in our hospital is discussed.
