Table 1: Nurses’
opinions on oral health.
|
Item
(n = 288) |
Mean
(SD) |
Disagree/Strongly
disagree N (%) |
Neutral
N (%) |
Agree/Strongly
agree N (%) |
|
a. Oral health is often regarded as
less important than other health needs of patients. |
3.71 (1.03) |
48 (16.7) |
21 (7.3) |
219 (76.0) |
|
f. Dental cavities and periodontal
diseases are generally thought of as infections by physicians (n = 289). |
3.13 (1.12) |
103 (35.6) |
62 (21.5) |
124 (42.9) |
|
c. Dental cavities and periodontal
disease are generally thought of as infections by APRNs (n = 289). |
3.25 (1.08) |
83 (28.7) |
63 (21.8) |
143 (49.5) |
|
d. Little time is devoted to oral
health topics in nursing education. |
4.03 (0.95) |
28 (9.7) |
29 (10.1) |
231 (80.2) |
|
e. The dental discipline remains
relatively segregated from other healthcare disciplines (n = 289). |
4.10 (0.84) |
21 (7.3) |
22 (7.6) |
246 (85.1) |
|
f. The separation of dental and
other primary health care disciplines has grown overtime. |
3.57 (3.90) |
60 (20.8) |
119 (41.3) |
109 (37.9) |
|
g. Many doctors regard oral health
as an important component of overall medical care. |
3.21 (0.96) |
77 (26.7) |
87 (30.2) |
124 (43.1) |
|
h. I generally regard oral health as
an important component of overall medical care. |
4.28 (0.76) |
7 (2.5) |
26 (9.0) |
255 (88.5) |
|
i. I always warn patients that their
oral health can be compromised by certain medications. |
3.29 (1.11) |
84 (29.2) |
66 (22.9) |
138 (47.9) |
|
j. Many immunosuppressive drugs are
prescribed for people with dental conditions that can result in serious
septicemias (n = 287). |
3.55 (0.81) |
18 (6.3) |
127 (44.3) |
142(49.5) |
|
k. I have adequate knowledge of the
interaction between oral health and treatment/management of many diseases (n =
289). |
2.80 (1.04) |
141 (42.6) |
61 (21.1) |
87 (30.1) |
|
a. Dentists rarely consider the
medical ramifications of the oral health care they provide (n = 286). |
2.64 (0.93) |
141 (49.3) |
93 (32.5) |
52 (18.2) |
|
b. Many medications are prescribed
without consideration of their oral health ramifications (n = 289). |
3.79 (0.80) |
27 (9.3) |
46 (15.9) |
216 (74.7) |
|
c. The drug labels of most drugs
that can have xerostomic (dry mouth) effects do not
contain information on their potential impacts on oral health (n = 289). |
3.82 (0.79) |
21 (7.3) |
57 (19.8) |
210 (72.7) |
|
d. The inadvertent prescribing of
medicines that can have xerostomic effects without
considering oral health implications is a major problem. |
3.82 (2.38) |
16 (5.6) |
91 (31.6) |
181 (62.8) |
|
e. Patients taking medicines that
can have xerostomic effects are adequately informed
about the importance of maintaining dental health while taking the
medications. |
2.43 (0.92) |
187 (64.9) |
59 (20.5) |
42 (14.6) |
|
f. APRNs prescribing
immunosuppressive and cytotoxic pharmaceuticals infrequently inquire about a
patient’s dental status. |
3.10 (0.87) |
66 (22.9) |
135 (46.9) |
87 (30.2) |
|
g. APRNs prescribing
immunosuppressive and cytotoxic pharmaceuticals rarely advise patients about
the importance of maintaining dental health while taking the medications. |
2.97 (0.86) |
83 (28.8) |
132 (45.8) |
73 (25.3) |