Abstract
Undoubtedly, the quality of oral hygiene care provided to inpatients is a key indicator of the quality of nursing care in general and it is universally significant.
In the introduction to the study, the importance of oral hygiene and the recognition of symptoms indicative of oral disease in nursing care is highlighted and it is noted that, unfortunately, oral hygiene is often overlooked or undervalued in certain contexts.
Mouth care contributes not only to oral health but also to the maintenance of the patient's general health. In a hospital environment, this care may be performed by the patient themself, and in the case of disability, by the team or caregiver who cares for them. The nursing team plays a key role in inpatient oral hygiene, whether in encouraging self-care, in the guidance or in the execution of this care by chemical and mechanical methods to provide comfort to the patient and avoid complications.
The study presented in this paper showed that a large percentage of nurses had not received previous training in oral hygiene. If nurses do not know how to recognise the risks, they can hardly mitigate them through the care provided.
Given the importance of oral health, it is essential that this care is part of the academic and professional training of nurses and recognised as an integral part of the care process. For this, it is necessary that the caregivers, in addition to the technical skills to perform oral hygiene, know the physiology and oral anatomy, to recognise abnormalities and establish safe and effective measures.
In this sense, the paper may inform direct health policies to the topic in question. The data presented reveal the need to implement policies that improve the performance of the nursing team in providing oral hygiene care for inpatients. In addition, it contributes to knowledge about oral health care in hospitals in England.
One of the strengths of this study is the identification of factors that can influence nursing practice in relation to providing oral healthcare for inpatients. These include staffing levels, work overload and scarcity of material resources. Furthermore, the study demonstrates a need to develop further knowledge on the subject, through research in different locations and to strengthen the process of training development and the working practices of professionals in oral healthcare.