title: [Importance of oral and dental care in home medical care].
abstract: Recently, the importance of home medical care has been stressed. But patients, those assisting them and home care nurses do not attach much importance to oral and dental care in home medical care. When we visit patients who have asked for dental treatment through home care nurses, they appeared to have very poor oral hygiene; cavities were uncared for, dental plaque and dental calculus built up, and they used ill-fitting dentures. Through home dental care visits, it was not just the dental treatment but advice on dental hygiene management and diet that helped patients regain their appetite and bring back a smile to their face, while giving a rhythm to their life. This created a certain human feeling and brought about better patient quality of life (QOL), while at the same time helping to improve the QOL of the family as well.
authors.affiliation: Sapporo Dental-Oral Surgery Clinic.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shintani
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miyakawa
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Funaki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishitani
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D003729:Dental Care / Q000451:nursing*; D017742:Dental Care for Chronically Ill; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000628:therapy; D003778:Dentures; D005260:Female; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life