title: A study to determine oral health needs of institutionalised elderly patients by non dental health care workers.
abstract: In this survey normative need as assessed by an examining dentist and the subject's own perceived need are compared with need assessed by untrained care workers. A method for simple assessment of elderly people on admission to day centres or elderly peoples' residential homes is described and its efficiency in use assessed during a survey of 41 subjects. Results suggest that use of a simple questionnaire can alert carers to problems requiring dental care--oral hygiene regimens can then be improved, dentures named and dentists called to provide treatment. Too often this type of initial assessment is neglected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Restorative Dentistry, University Dental Hospital of Manchester, U.K.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hoad-Reddick
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003631:Day Care, Medical; D003752:Dental Health Services; D003779:Denture Design; D003778:Dentures; D004739:England; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006280:Health Workforce; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D009909:Oral Health; D013499:Surface Properties