Oral Health Intervention in Hemodialysis Patients

Preserving dental health in patients undergoing hemodialysis is crucial for enhancing quality of life. Nonetheless, interventions pertaining to oral health have not been adequately studied. The aim is to investigate the impact of oral care education and reminder cards concerning oral health on the oral health and illness adaptation of persons undergoing hemodialysis. The study employed a quasi-experimental design with a single group, utilising pre-test and post-test measurements. The study included 82 individuals (aged ≥ 18 years) receiving treatment in the hemodialysis units of two different hospitals in Turkey. Sociodemographic and clinical information was obtained from medical records. The "Adaptation to Chronic Illness Scale" and the "Oral Assessment Guide" were employed to assess oral health and illness adaptation. A one-week intervention was conducted, using daily oral health reminder cards following oral care teaching. A significant difference was found between the mean oral health and illness adaptation levels in the pre-test (15.51±2.67; 84.37±9.14, respectively) and post-test (12.61±3.83; 86.26±9.66, respectively) scores (p=0.00). Oral health and treatment adherence were better after the use of oral care education and reminder cards (p=0.00). Daily tooth brushing frequency was a common factor influencing oral health and chronic disease adherence levels (p\<0.05). The mean scores for oral health and illness adaptation were moderately and negatively correlated before and after the intervention (sırasıyla r=-0.46, r=-0.52; p\<0.01). The findings help to examine the effect of oral health interventions on the levels of oral health and chronic disease adherence in patients receiving hemodialysis treatment. The use of oral care education, reminder cards, and checklists related to oral health can prevent the neglect of oral care.