The dental awareness of nursing home staff in Singapore - a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this pilot study was to assess the oral health knowledge among staff working in a local nursing home managed by a voluntary welfare organisation.


METHODS
A self-administered questionnaire was completed by 53 nursing staff working in a home with 270 residents. The questionnaire was structured to assess the staff's knowledge of dental caries, periodontal disease and the care and use of dentures.


RESULTS
99.6% of the respondents felt that oral health care of the elderly was very important. However, only 45.3% of them attributed the cause of dental caries to the frequent intake of sugar. Bacteria in dental plaque was identified by 88.7% of them as the main cause of periodontal disease while 96.2% of them indicated that dentures should be cleaned at least once a day and rinsed after every meal.


CONCLUSIONS
The staff of this nursing home demonstrated positive knowledge of periodontal disease and denture care. However, their knowledge of dental caries revealed substantial room for improvement. This could signal an area for future staff training and development. Such efforts would help establish a team of caregivers who can improve the oral health and quality of life for residents in the nursing home.
Thean
Hilary
H
Department of Restorative Dentistry, Level 3, National University Hospital, National University of Singapore, Singapore. rsdtpy@nus.edu.sg
Wong
Mun Loke
ML
Koh
Holy
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003731:Dental Caries / Q000209:etiology; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000382:microbiology; D003778:Dentures; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000009:adverse effects; D006267:Health Education, Dental; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D008875:Middle Aged; D009735:Nursing Homes; D009740:Nursing Staff; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D010510:Periodontal Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011788:Quality of Life; D012846:Singapore; D000078329:Workforce
D019422:Dietary Sucrose