Abstract
The most common dental diseases, caries and periodontal disease are generally known to be caused by infections due to normal flora in the oral cavity. However, we consider that these is insufficient attention to detail in the management of inpatients' oral hygiene.
Especially, the management of oral hygiene is very important in preventing infections and in avoiding mental hygiene problems for long-term elderly hospitalized patients . Accordingly, the questionnaire study was carried out, in order to find opinions and document practice of oral hygiene management by nursing staff in geriatric institutions and hospitals.
The questionnaire was sent to and collected from the subjects whose cooperation was reques ted in advance. The subjects were the staff of geriatric institution in Tokyo and two geriatric hospitals in Kanagawa and Shizuoka.
Of 120 qustionnaires distributed, 90 were returned. The average age of the subjects was 32 .5 years old and the average years of experience was 7.5 years. Sixty subjects have had oral hygiene education and thirth had not. Most respondents answered about the dental treatment and oral hygiene relating to the general health conditions of the inpatients . But the reasons for their answeres were not very clear, and most subjects did not understand the reasons.
Most nursing staff answered that they need the management of oral hygiene . However we think that both their concern with and understanding of oral hygiene are still low.
We suggest that nursing staff are too busy with the general care of inpatients, so they have insufficient time for oral hygiene management. There is therefore a need for the development of an effective mouth rinse, and oral hygiene education for nursing staff. Moreover, cirums tances in which dental hygienists can manage oral hygiene positively at geriatric institutions and hospital should be created.
