Oral health knowledge and behavior among nursing home employees in Seoul, Korea / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyze the level of knowledge on oral health and oral health behavior among nursing home employees. METHODS: A self-reported survey was conducted for 480 workers in nursing care and residential care facilities for the elderly in Seoul, Korea. RESULTS: The results showed that nursing home employees had more knowledge about denture management than about periodontal diseases. The perception of their own oral health and their level of concern about oral health were different among employees depending on their marital status, job tenure, and income. The average frequency of tooth brushing was 3.05 times per day. Employees with higher income visited the dentist more often. CONCLUSIONS: Oral health education should be improved so that nursing home employees have the desirable level of knowledge about oral health and exhibit appropriate oral health behavior.

Oral health care provided by nursing home employees to elderly residents / 대한구강보건학회지

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to investigate the oral health care behavior of nursing home employees caring for elderly residents. METHODS: Subjects were 480 nursing home workers living in Seoul recruited using convenience sampling. They completed a self-report survey. RESULTS: Results showed that 84.6% of respondents reporting having brushed the teeth of the elderly residents, while 81.7% brushed their dentures. Further, 62.3% reported having received at least one session of oral health care training. When asked to identify the problem with oral health care for the elderly residents, the most common answer was "lack of knowledge on oral health care." Further, respondents most frequently found "proper way of brushing teeth" followed by "methods to prevent periodontal diseases" the oral care topics on which they needed information. CONCLUSIONS: It is necessary to develop an oral health care education program for employees of nursing homes for elderly adults.