Dental Hygienists’ Practice in Perioperative Oral Care Management According to the Japanese Dental Hygienists Survey 2019

Yoshiaki Nomura, Yuki Ohara, Yuko Yamamoto, Ayako Okada, Noriyasu Hosoya, Nobuhiro Hanada and Noriko Takei
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Yoshiaki Nomura: Department of Translational Research, Tsurumi University School of Dental Medicine, Yokohama 230-8501, Japan
Yuki Ohara: Japanese Dental Hygienists’ Association, Tokyo 169-0071, Japan
Yuko Yamamoto: Department of Endodontology, Tsurumi University School of Dental Medicine, Yokohama 230-8501, Japan
Ayako Okada: Department of Operative Dentistry, Tsurumi University School of Dental Medicine, Yokohama 230-8501, Japan
Noriyasu Hosoya: Department of Endodontology, Tsurumi University School of Dental Medicine, Yokohama 230-8501, Japan
Nobuhiro Hanada: Department of Translational Research, Tsurumi University School of Dental Medicine, Yokohama 230-8501, Japan
Noriko Takei: Japanese Dental Hygienists’ Association, Tokyo 169-0071, Japan

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 18, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Perioperative oral care management is effective in the prevention of postoperative complications, and dental hygienists play an important role. The aim of this study was to elucidate the practice and substantial role of dental hygienists in perioperative oral care management. The Japan Dental Hygienists Association conducted a survey of the employment status of Japanese dental hygienists in 2019. Questionnaires were distributed to all 16,722 members, and 8932 were returned (collection rate: 53.4%). A total of 3560 dental hygienists were working at dental clinics and 1450 (38.2%) were performing perioperative oral care management. More than 90% of them implemented conventional oral care practice. Less than half of the dental hygienists implemented treatment concerning oral functions. Only 9.9% of dental hygienists recognized shortened hospital stay as an effect of perioperative oral care management. Dental hygienists who implemented both nutritional instruction and training of swallowing function or mouth rinsing instructions recognized the shortened hospital stay effect. Overall implementation of perioperative oral care management led to shortened hospital stay. Implementation of perioperative oral care management required knowledge and skills related to systemic health conditions. A stepwise educational program is necessary for perioperative oral care management to become commonplace for dental hygienists.

Keywords: dental hygienist; perioperative oral care management; oral care practice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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