Does dental disease presence equate to treatment need among care home residents?

Abstract

ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore the relationship between dental disease, complexity and dental treatment needs of care home residents. MethodsSurvey of residents in care homes in Wales. Random sample of participants from a random selection of care homes across Wales, UK. Data collection involved questionnaires and dental examinations. ResultsData were collected from 655 care home residents in 213 care homes. Half of all residents reported good or very good oral health but most had dental treatment needs. 73% of dentate residents had active caries, of those, 53% required restorations and 37% needed extractions. All were deemed to require dental examination. 60% of dentate residents and 50% of edentate residents had case complexity, which influenced the delivery of care. ConclusionsThere is significant unmet dental treatment need amongst care home residents. Dental disease presence alone is a poor indicator of the need for care and does not account for case complexity or the shift towards a patient centred rather than disease focussed approach to care. Measures for treatment needs and complexity are required when undertaking assessments of oral health needs in care homes. Clinical SignificanceTraditional oral health surveys measuring dental disease do not necessarily equate to treatments required for care home residents and do not reflect the complexity and difficulties involved in delivering dental care. This survey highlights dental needs in care homes, and the difficulties involved in delivering care to address these needs.