Kayser Jones Case Analysis

Make an initial speculation about Suzie’s condition at this time. Assuming that your speculation is true, what do you think the doctor will find in the results of Suzie’s physical examination?

“The impact of unmet oral health care needs is magnified by the well-established connection between oral health and overall health” (Fineberg, H. 2011, p. ix). Oral health status is linked with general health, as evidenced by the association between poor oral health and chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease. Poor oral hygiene can also lead to other health issues such as, oral facial pain and digestive problems. “The silent epidemic of oral diseases disproportionately affects disadvantaged communities,

If left untreated, pulp infection can lead to abscess, destruction of bone, and systemic infection (Cawson et al. 1982; USDHHS 2000). Various sources have concluded that water fluoridation has been an effective method for preventing dental decay (Newbrun 1989; Ripa 1993; Horowitz 1996; CDC 2001; Truman et al. 2002). Water fluoridation is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as one of the 10 great public health achievements in the United States, because of its role in reducing tooth decay in children and tooth loss in adults (CDC 1999). Each U.S. Surgeon General has endorsed water fluoridation over the decades it has been practiced, emphasizing that “[a] significant advantage of water fluoridation is that all residents of a community can enjoy its protective benefit…. A person’s income level or ability to receive dental care is not a barrier to receiving fluoridation’s health benefits” (Carmona 2004). As noted earlier, this report does not evaluate nor make judgments about the benefits, safety, or efficacy of artificial water fluoridation. That practice is reviewed only in terms of being a source of exposure to

In the first case study, the public health dental hygienist is responsible for evaluating the daily fluoridation test that is submitted by each state to make sure it is in the optimal range 0.7 to 1.2 milligrams per liter. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2011) She is also responsible for working with the state if the test results do not measure up the standards set forth by the CDC. In addition the dental hygienist reports all of these results to Centers for Disease control and Prevention (CDC) so the CDC can determine a national average. This case study shows the “assessment” part of the essential public health services.

The dental hygienist has played an integral role in the early detection and diagnosis of oral cancer, and in some cases, might have even saved lives. The Oral Cancer Foundation has highlighted that over 100,000 dentists see anywhere from 8 to 15 patients a day, a figure that would be substantially higher if it included dental hygienist-only visits (“The role of the medical and dental professionals”, 2015). According to the American Dental Association (as cited in The Oral Cancer Foundation, “The role of the medical and dental professionals”, 2015), stated “that 60% of the US population sees a dentist every year. Just doing "opportunistic" cancer screenings of the existing patient population which visits a dental office every day would yield tens of thousands of opportunities to catch oral cancer in its early stages”.

As dental hygienists we are members of the healthcare community. That means that we have an extremely important role when it comes to the health of our patients. When patients present themselves in our treatment room, it is our responsibility to make sure we do not leave anything unexamined. We are professionals in the practice of identifying, preventing, and treating oral diseases. We do this by completing thorough extraoral and intraoral exams and being conscious of what to look for. One particular exam that we do is an oral cancer exam. As dental hygienists we are at the forefront in identifying this disease. In an article written by Nancy Burkhart, a coauthor of General and Oral Pathology for the Dental Hygienist, she states, “It is known that oral cancer is more likely to be detected in an early stage in the dental office than those found at a physician’s office, which tend to be at a later stage.” (Burkhart, 2014) This may be because dental hygienists focus more on the oral tissues than physicians do; or the fact that patients go to a doctor when it is already at advanced stages. It is imperative that we as dental hygienists know the signs and symptoms of oral cancer, as well as the risk factors involved in developing the disease and how it can be prevented. While it is important as a dental hygienist to identify oral diseases, it is more important to educate our patients on how they can avoid any potential abnormalities from becoming severe problems,

Oral health care is an integral part of the US healthcare system. In 2012, Sen. Bernie Sanders introduced “The Comprehensive Dental Reform Act”, which aimed on expanding dental coverage, accessible oral health care centers, increase in dental workforce, enhanced dental education and encourage dental research. (Congress.gov). The ACA, aim to curb the national health spending, by facilitating the affordability to quality care through private and public health insurance. The purpose of this bill is to cut the healthcare costs and to reverse the “silent epidemic” of dental health status (surgeon gen). This dental bill with an integrated approach towards the preventive and comprehensive oral healthcare is estimated to provide coverage to almost 17.7 million adults. (ADA

There is only a small amount of literature providing quality evidence based on the use of a successful oral health assessment tool for people with dementia (JBI, 2004). There is no published evidence to this date that has directly linked the use of the assessment tool and the standard of oral hygiene and care given within residential aged care facilities (JBI, 2004). For successful assessment of the residents with dementia the assessment should be undertaken by trained staff and on admission the assessment should also involve a dentist (JBI, 2004). Assessment should be done on a regular basis, at least every 8 weeks (JBI, 2004).

Research studies have indicated that the elderly Hispanic-American population residing along the Texas-Mexico border has minimal access to healthcare as well as inadequate use of preventive and screening services. The elderly population in El Paso, Texas is speculated to increase by 21.8% between 2014 to 2019 for the age group between 70 to 74 and 11.7% for the age group between 75 to 79. Unfortunately, many oral healthcare professionals are avoiding geriatric certification as a result of the low fees associated with Medicare and Medicaid and the bothersome paperwork that is often affiliated with the elderly, low-income, and minority patient. Based upon the Healthy People 2020 objectives for issues that are applicable to older adults; the objective to be addressed within this review report is the objective of increasing the proportion of dentists with geriatric certification. The specific research question to be addressed is “What are various factors that might be inhibiting dentists from attaining their geriatric certification and what are some strategies to overcome these obstacles and further facilitate this objective?” While the main priority should be to advocate for further health promotion of oral care in the elderly population and increasing the numbers of elderly adults that are able to understand the health benefits of oral care; various factors among the dentistry profession and elderly population must also be addressed. These factors might include ethnic

Oral disease is on of the most common health problems affecting children in the United States (Oral Health in America, 2000). Dental caries is the most prevalent dental disease in children which occurs more often in disadvantaged children than in others. Additionally, children with public insurance have great difficulty gaining access to primary oral care services (Kaye N, 1998; Oral health, 2000). A Report of the Surgeon General stated that minority and low-income children in the United States experience poorer oral health and poorer access to dental health care services than do their majority and higher-income peers (Oral Health in America, 2000). Each year, less than one in five children enrolled in Medicaid use preventive services (Kaye N, 1998; Oral health, 2000). Even if the public insured children get some access to preventive care, access to comprehensive dental care is much more less (Oral Health in America, 2000).

Doctors and other medical personnel see added doses of fluoride to drinking water, as a malpractice. This is because medical ethics do not allow for any administration of drugs without the consent of the patient or a proper diagnosis. In addition, the practice also gives fluoride to people who do not need it. Not everyone is affected by tooth decay, however the system does not choose whom to give the dose and whom to skip. This leads to accumulation of fluoride in the blood system, which can lead to life threatening conditions.

Dental insurance coverage is a key determinant on whether to seek care or not. The exclusion of our mouths from the rest of our body parts and not receiving the care it requires is quite impossible to rationalize (McClymont, 2015). Dental care is essential in the maintenance of good oral health and in the identification of symptoms of systemic conditions that most likely are manifested through the mouth. As striking and conspicuous as it may sound, Canada has indeed a type of health care system wherein mouth is excepted as a part of the body. As a matter of fact, our lips, tongues, and throats are securely covered while our teeth and gums are left out from the privilege. The most common infectious disease in the world are dental diseases, and the fact that many health issues can be first diagnosed through the oral cavity validates its importance and co-relevance to the rest of our body. Studies have linked poor oral health such as severity of gum infection to AIDS, first stages of osteoporosis, reveal nutritional deficiencies, immune disorders, cancer, and so on and so forth. Xerostomia or dry mouth for an instance is often a symptom of undetected diabetes. Diabetic patients have higher risks of gum infection caused by increased blood sugar, thickening of blood vessels resulting to hindered healing process that is why they are obligated to undergo pre-medication as a form

Approximately 15 million people suffer a stroke worldwide each year, of those 5 million die and another 5 million are permanently disabled Mackay et al (2004). Stroke tends to affect people over the age of 75 (Scarborough et al 2009). Since almost 70% of people over 75 retain some teeth (Todd and Laden 1998), maintaining a healthy mouth is important for elderly stroke patients. Not only does effective oral care play a central role in the prevention of infection, a healthy mouth also makes a real difference to a person’s quality of life (McGrath and Bedi 1998) and maintenance of nutritional status (Jones 1998) .For these reasons, this dissertation will examine the benefits of good oral hygiene for elderly stroke patients and nurses role in

As stated by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “Each year, more than 30,000 new cases of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx are diagnosed and over 8,000 deaths due to oral cancer occur.” (CDC). Most adults are unaware that they have periodontal disease or gum disease, this occurs because they do not maintain routine checkups with their dentist. When we insert food and other bacteria into our mouths, it affects our teeth and gums. We need routine dental checkups and cleanings throughout our lives. Dental checkups usually involve x-rays, cleanings, and the examination of the mouth.

Although many Americans have good oral hygiene due to fluoride and making everyday good decisions, others do not have any access at all to oral health care. Over the years, dentists have been trying to demonstrate the importance of oral care. (“Access to Dental Care”) From commercials to campaigns, dentists will continue to demonstrate to their patients as well as to the people who don't have insurance the importance of oral health care. They will teach them preventative care and some techniques on how to prevent from getting any diseases.