The screening tool consists of 10 items for assessment, and it includes images and keywords to try to eliminate the possibility of producing false positive or negative results. The aim of the screening tool is to find a way of detecting such anomalies at an earlier stage, to allow them to be treated earlier. In designing the tool, Dr. Caron and his team took the main factors contributing to the deterioration of seniors’ oral health into account, such as loss of autonomy, difficulty in accessing care, and, most importantly, the lack of oral health knowledge among LTC staff. Developing a tool that could be used by non-dental professionals was essential to help dentists detect abnormalities as early as possible. Dentists don’t have the opportunity to see their patients on a daily basis, unlike nursing staff in LTC facilities. “Very often, these nursing staff are the ones performing the daily oral care so their involvement in the early detection of oral anomalies is essential,” says Dr. Caron. The screening tool consists of 10 items for assessment, and it includes images and keywords to try to eliminate the possibility of producing false positive or negative results. Based on the state of dental structures and components of oral and prosthetic health, the 10 items have three general levels of classification: normal condition, mild to moderate abnormality, severe abnormality. “The tool primarily includes images and illustrations as most of the time, LTC staff don’t have training in oral health, so it needs to be simple to use,” says Dr. Caron. The images have been selected to accompany the assessment form, the intervention guide and the description of conditions of use that have been developed to accompany the tool. The illustrated tool also includes a screening component for oral pain. The visual state of dental structures and other components of oral health, as well as the person’s perception of pain, are assessed. In most cases, the intensity and the frequency of pain are reliable indicators of the need for, and speed of, management of the condition. The pain screening tool is illustrated with colours ranging from green to red, based on the concept of traffic lights. Using the tool, pain is analyzed by looking for its association with a condition in mouth and teeth structures or other components of oral health. This process is particularly relevant in a context where many seniors living in LTC facilities suffer from moderate or advanced neurocognitive impairment, preventing them from answering questions about the pain they feel. 26 | 2023 | Issue 4 Issues and People
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