Background
The oral health of older adults requiring long-term services and supports is reported
to be poor as there is no national standard of care for the provision of oral health
care. The purpose of this scoping review was to understand the breadth of models of
delivery and financing of oral health care in the full spectrum of long-term services
and supports.
Types of Studies Reviewed
A literature search was performed in 4 electronic databases: MEDLINE via PubMed interface,
Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, and AgeLine. Included
articles were those that were regarding a nursing home population or dependent older
adults living in the community, included a delivery or financing model for oral health
care, and included an outcome measurement.
Results
Sixteen articles were included in the review. Delivery mechanisms included onsite
mobile oral health care at nursing homes and adult day health care centers for those
living in the community or home visits for those who were homebound. Other mechanisms
included teledentistry or using alternative workforce models such as certified public
health dental hygienists. Numerous studies reported positive oral health outcomes
when comprehensive care was provided in a variety of settings. Other reported outcomes
included oral health stability, caries indexes, cost, and oral health–related quality
of life.
Conclusions and Practical Implications
If providing onsite oral health care is not possible at facilities, programs can consider
home visits, teledentistry, and alternative workforce models.
