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Raising awareness of oral health care in patients with schizophreniaTredget J, Sze WT (2019) Raising awareness of oral health care in patients with schizophrenia. Nursing Times [online]; 115: 12, 21-25.How to use this article for your journal club discussionPrint and read the article before your journal club meeting, and use the author commentary and discussion points below to help get your discussions started. Participation in journal clubs can be used for revalidation as:Participatory CPD: describe what you have learnt and how you will apply it to your practice, and how it links to the NMC Code;Reflective accounts: think about what you learned from your discussions, how you can use your learning to improve your practice, and how this relates to the NMC Code.If you subscribe to Nursing Times, log the evidence in the ‘Other professional development’ or ‘Reflective accounts’ section of your NT Portfolio.Why can schizophrenia lead to poor oral health?Oral health in the UK has improved noticeably over the past 50 years but this not is for the case for all groups in society; those who are poor, vulnerable or experience long-term health conditions may not have enjoyed the same positive changes – and people with schizophrenia may fall into this group. Schizophrenia is a serious and enduring mental health condition associated with thought disorder and hallucinations, but can also lead to lack of motivation, social withdrawal and lack of interest in many things, including personal hygiene. People with schizophrenia may also hold delusional beliefs about their teeth – for example believing they need to be immediately removed with pliers because they are bugged. They may also have a diet including lots of convenience and processed sugary foods or drinks, and have poor or irregular contact with health services. Many of the medications used to treat serious mental illnesses may exacerbate problems by causing sedation, a dry mouth and an increase in weight. Good access to dentists and dental hygienists and good self-care of teeth through regular brushing can therefore be challenging for this group. When they are in hospital, health professionals may be more focused on addressing acute psychiatric concerns than on oral health. While patients may be provided with toothbrushes and toothpaste when in hospital, they may be easily forgotten about and lost on return to their home. There appears to be a lack of awareness in (and training for) clinical staff on the importance of encouraging good oral health self-care and while patients in hospital or in supported accommodation may be prompted to brush their teeth, those who live alone or are socially isolated can easily fall into the routine of not doing so and not buying tooth-brushes or tooth-paste. This article discusses how good oral health aids social inclusion – who likes talking with someone who has unpleasant looking teeth or halitosis? Significantly, poor oral health is associated with physical health conditions including oral carcinomas, heart disease, stroke, bowel disorders and diabetes.Authors: John Tredget is community mental health nurse/research nurse, National Centre for Mental Health; Wai Tat Sze is a fourth-year medical student, both at Cardiff University.Discussion pointsWhy do some people neglect their oral health while others do not?Why are people with long-term conditions less likely to have good oral health than those who are in good health?How can clinicians encourage people to look after their dental health if they are not motivated to do so?Do you consider oral health when assessing patients’ physical health?What is the nurse’s role in supporting someone with poor oral health?Raising awareness of oral health care in patients with schizophreniaTredget J, Tat Sze W (2019) Raising awareness of oral health care in patients with schizophrenia. Nursing Times [online]; 115: 12, 21-25.-63500165735Revalidation evidenceMake a note of how your journal club discussion relates to your own practice and the NMC Code, what you learnt from reading and discussing the article and how you will use this learning to change your practice. If you subscribe to Nursing Times, you can upload this article with your notes into your NT Portfolio as evidence of participatory CPD. You can also use it as the basis for a reflective account.0Revalidation evidenceMake a note of how your journal club discussion relates to your own practice and the NMC Code, what you learnt from reading and discussing the article and how you will use this learning to change your practice. If you subscribe to Nursing Times, you can upload this article with your notes into your NT Portfolio as evidence of participatory CPD. You can also use it as the basis for a reflective account.Your notes ................
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