Published in

MDPI, Healthcare, 1(10), p. 115, 2022

DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10010115

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Oral Hygiene Practice among Hospitalized Patients: An Assessment by Dental Hygiene Students

This paper is made freely available by the publisher.
This paper is made freely available by the publisher.

Full text: Download

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Postprint: archiving allowed
Green circle
Published version: archiving allowed
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

Aim: An epidemiological study was carried out, in hospital wards, with the aim of assessing the oral health status of patients subjected to multiple medical treatments. Material and Methods: The study was conducted at Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo (Pavia, Italy). A questionnaire was submitted to patients for the evaluation of oral hygiene devices used; then, a clinical examination was conducted to collect Decayed Missing Filled Teeth (DMFT) index, Plaque Index (PI), and Marginal Gingival Index (MGI) values. Results: Manual toothbrushes were used by a wide range of the sample study (65–100% among hospital wards), together with mouthwash (20–80%); interproximal aids were used by few patients (the lowest recorded value was 33.3%). Conclusion: dental hygienists could be integrated into hospital wards as oral hygiene procedure instructors, for the improvement of the oral health conditions of hospitalized patients.