Healthcare Assignment: DN5 Oral Health, Prevention, Communication

This assignment explores various aspects of oral health within the context of the DN5 module. The student addresses scenarios involving patient communication, particularly when unable to answer a question about oral health, and the referral process to other staff members. It then delves into methods for planning and delivering oral healthcare, considering social, cultural, ethical, environmental, and psychological factors that influence health and illness. The assignment further examines the principles of a population health approach, including demographic and social trends, UK and international oral health trends, determinants of health, and health inequalities. Evidence-based prevention strategies are evaluated within dental and wider healthcare systems, referencing guidelines from NICE, CQC, DoH, and BASCD. The role of health promotion is analyzed in terms of changing environments, community behaviors, and individual actions to achieve health gains. Finally, the assignment discusses the most effective communication methods for different patient types, including adults, children, older people, and individuals with special needs, addressing specific oral health issues for each group.

DN5 ZOOM notes
DN5 1.4, 1.7
If you were asked a question on Oral Health you were unable to answer. What
would you do? If you had to refer to another member of staff what system is in
place?
2. DN5 3.1,3.2. LO1 range2abcd
Describe methods of how oral health care can be planned and delivered. Think about
factors that contribute to health and illness such as social factors,
religious/cultural/ethical, environmental and psychological.
For planning and delivery of oral health care, all team of healthcare requires following
an effective process which must be clear and having detailed information methods of
how oral health care can be planned and delivered. There is a practical model available
for close collaboration between all staff, medicine and demister. For delivery, they
have to follow five steps such as: ask, look, decide, act and document. In first step they
If I am asked a question on oral health in which I am unable to give answer to patient
then I will give him all information with politely which I have and know about the
problem. I will also refer him to my other staffs that is specialist and would know the
answers in order to make the patient feel valued and satisfied.
For referring patient to another member of staff in healthcare it can be said that there
is a system and software has being created which allows healthcare professional and
staff to refer their patient to other staff due to lack of knowledge, resources and other
things. This software also provides in network communication as well as timely
updates on patient status which allow health system to become more effective and
transparent in their practices. It leads to higher quality of healthcare services and
effectiveness.

have to ask all symptoms and risks factors of oral health. They also require looking for
signs, deciding on the most effective response, providing preventive intervention and
documenting a structured data.
There are several factors including social, cultural, ethical, psychological and
environmental which contribute to health and illness.
Individual biology and genetics is one of the main factor which helps healthcare
professional in determining general health and well being. In psychological,
individual’s personal behaviours and lifestyle like smoking, drinking, imbalanced diet,
lack of exercise which may lead to illness and become reason of uncertain death.
In environmental and other factors which also affect illness is lack of access to care;
and the organisation of health care. There are several areas in the UK where people do
not have effective and proper access to healthcare and it affects their health. Access to
care makes a difference. A complex set of factors underlies access to care and includes
the need to have informed public and policymakers, integrated and culturally
competent programs, and resources to pay and reimburse for the care. Among other
factors, the availability of NHS services is one of the main factor which increases
access to care.
It is also found that there are several factors like lack of resources, lack of labour and
others, Nursing homes and other long-term care institutions find problems to deliver
needed oral health services to their residents, most of whom are at increased risk for
oral diseases
Socioeconomic status at each life stage also affect health of people who are vulnerable
because of poor general health find problems in having access to healthcare services..
These all factors interact over the life span and determine the health of individuals,
population groups, and communities from neighbourhoods to nations.
In the context of prevention, it can be said that people need to focus on some areas and
government also require focusing on this area. One of the main preventive
interventions, such as protective head and mouth gear and dental sealants, exist but are
not uniformly used or reinforced. Healthy eating is an important part of keeping the
older generation healthy. Anticipatory guidance and risk assessment and management

could be used to facilitate care for children and for the elderly. This could involve
having promotion of oral health in day care centres and/or nursing homes to enable the
elderly to look after their teeth
3. DN5 4.1
Describe the basic principles of a population health approach, how these are
measured and current patterns, for:
 demographic and social trends
 UK and international oral health trends
 determinants of health
 inequalities in health.

One of the main principle of population health approach according to which health
professionals are allowed to focus on only health and wellness rather than illness by
taking a population rather than individual. It helps them out in improving overall
health of population.
There are some trends for which principles of population health approach is being
measured such as:
Demographic and social trends – It includes values and quality of life of people.
As per the social and demographic, psychology and habits of people like smoking,
lack of exercise, not using mouth wash and others lead to dental illness and
population health. Socialization prepares people to participate in social group by
teaching them their norms. By making people aware about dental health, overall
health can be improved.
UK and international oral health trends – In this context, it can be said that many
developing countries have low decayed, missing as well as filled primary teeth values
but a high prevalence of dental caries in the primary dentition. They are aware about
importance of dental care and care of themselves which reduced prevalence of dental
decay and prevent them against illness. But being free from caries in childhood does
not mean that it will not imply and people will not get affected from it in the future
( Bhattacharya and Bhatt, 2017).
Determinants of health – It includes all those things .that influence health but are
outside of the individuals control. It includes: social status or income of people.
People with higher income are more likely to have access to healthcare which
influences health.
Inequalities in health – These are several things that are preventable and affect
individual health. For example the differences between NHS and private healthcare,
with income defining the access to private healthcare. People with low income are
less likely to have aces to healthcare and also because of lack of education they lack
behind and do not have proper knowledge about ways of taking care of themselves.

4. DN5 4.1 range 1a-d
Describe the relevance of evidence based prevention to improve oral health by evaluating
Dental and wider healthcare systems. (include CQC, DofH, NICE and BASCD).
There are some wider healthcare systems that play an important role in prevention as well as
improving oral health by evaluating dental care system. Some guidelines of NICE, QC and
others are being discussed below:
As per the NICE guidelines, they use evidence to form the guidance. The dental
contract pilots are focusing on improved oral health. Most of the health promotion
which mainly based on evidence based prevention – such as brushing teeth twice a
day, using mouth wash, quit smoking are promoting health of people.
CQC-Care quality commission guidelines and policies focus on ensuring that how
many people have access to healthcare and how many people are being given staff
training and care for improving health and making people aware about it. All those

homes to which CQC visited, states that they have access NHS dental health care but
there are only few staff members who have willingness to visit home.
DOFH-It also plays an important role in improving dental health of people by providing
them several information and developing awareness programme related to tooth brushing for
oral health (SENIORS and ANXIETY, 2018). It makes people aware about ways of brushing
teeth like brushing should start as soon as the first primary tooth erupts, people require to
brush their teeth twice, children under the age of 3 years should avoid to use no more than a
smear of toothpaste
BASCD- British association for the study of community also plays an important role
in promoting the oral health of population. It provides a set of principles for dental
oral health improvement. It also holds, develop and communicate sound body of
knowledge and provide to people about ways of taking dental care.
5. DN5 4.3

Describe and evaluate the role of health promotion in terms of the changing
environment, community and individual behaviours to deliver health gain.
6. DN5 LO1 range 1a-d, 2a-d
What is the best method of communication for the following
patient types for the named issues: FOR ALL OF THE BELOW
PLEASE CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING IN YOUR ANSWERS:
.
Adults:
Gum disease
Message should be reinforced over a number of sessions. Oral
communication will be suitable in this condition and people.
Children:
Diet
Learning and communication through group play/talk. Reinforcing
information with a parent/carer
Older
people:
Making changes when it becomes clear that words, behaviours and
Health promotion plays an important role in changing environment and
community behaviour which improves their overall health and also makes them
able to improve their lifestyle. They teach people about having better oral health,
brushing twice, using the best mouth wash and others.
All these help people in changing their bad habits and it can be used to change
behaviour of a community ( Sodik and Nzilibili, 2017). So Stopover is mainly
designed for this purpose to change a community, while oral health advice is
individualistic.

Current OH
routine
symbols are not being understood. Facial expression and Face to face
interaction.
People with
special
needs:
Caries
Communication through group as well as play talk because people
with special needs require attention and proper care and such mode
and method can make them feel valued and calm (Chichirez and
Purcărea, 2018).
REFERENCES
Books and journals
Chichirez, C.M. and Purcărea, V.L., 2018. Interpersonal communication in
healthcare. Journal of medicine and life. 11(2). p.119.
Sodik, M.A. and Nzilibili, S.M.M., 2017. The Role Of Health Promotion And Family
Support With Attitude Of Couples Childbearing Age In Following Family Planning Program
In Health. Journal of Global Research in Public Health. 2(2). pp.82-89.
SENIORS, D.O.H. and ANXIETY, A., 2018. DECLINING WITH PURPOSE:
PSYCHOSOCIAL PREDICTORS OF RESILIENCE. Innovation in Aging. 2(S1). p.481.
Bhattacharya, D. and Bhatt, J., 2017. Seven foundational principles of population health
policy. Population Health Management. 20(5). pp.383-388.