English for Nurses: The Importance of Good Oral Health

Activity 1 - Vocabulary: Oral and dental health

Listen to the pronunciation of the terms here. Underline the stressed syllables in each term. Make a note of any terms you don’t know.

Be careful:The pronunciation of‘oral’ (describing the mouth) and ‘aural’ (describing hearing) can sound similar. You need to guess their meaning from the words around them, e.g.
- Good oral hygiene includes correct tooth brushing
- She hadsome aural tests done to check her hearing

Activity 2: Complete the sentences with terms from the vocabulary list

Poor (1)______________________ can lead to (2)_____________(also called dental decay)
If(3)_________________don’t fit the mouth properly, people may have difficulty eating.
Bacteria that builds upon the teeth can cause (4)___________ (gum disease).
Bad breath, known as (5)______________,can be caused if people don’t clean their teeth properly.
(6)_____________can be found in several areas of the inside of the mouth.They can be very painful.
If the weather is very cold or if you don’t drink enough fluids, you may get (7)______________.
Liquid in your mouth, called (8)_____________, helps you to digest food.
Hard deposits on your teeth, called (9)____________, can lead to gum disease if they are not removed.
You put (10) ____________ on your lips if they are chapped and dry.
Using (11) ______________ helps to keep your mouth clean and free of bacteria.

Activity 3: Read the text and answer the questions

The Importance of Good Oral Health

There are several reasons why it is important to take care of a patient’s oral health. Keeping teeth and gums clean helps to prevent dental decay and tooth loss. Missing teeth can cause eating difficulties and result in nutritional problems.In addition, being able to chew food properly aids in digestion as well as the enjoyment of food.

If teeth are lost, a person may need to wear dentureswhichmust be kept clean and free of food. As a person gets older, it may be necessary to replace a denture so that the denture fits the mouth properly. If dentures areloose,they cancause mouth ulcers to form and makeeating painful.

Poor oral health can increase the risk of a person developing certain diseases, e.g.endocarditis (a heart condition). Pregnant women who have poor dental health can experience birth complications, such as preterm labour or having a baby with a low birth weight.

People with chronic health conditions like diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease or HIV/AIDS are more likely to develop infections such as gum disease. Gum disease can make it more difficult to control blood glucose levels in diabetes.

Finally, poor dental hygiene can result in halitosis (bad breath) or discoloured teeth. This can have psychological effects,such as making a person feel less confident or embarrassed about their appearance. They may not want to smile in front of other people and might also avoid social activities with their friends or family.

1. Why is good oral hygiene important?
   
   A) it helps to prevent tooth decay
   B) it makes teeth stronger and whiter
   C) it treats diseases in the body

2. What is one effect of the loss of several teeth?
   A) it makes dentures loose
   B) it makes it difficult to chew food
   C) it causes chapped lips
    
3. What effect does gum disease have on a person with diabetes?
   A) it may cause the woman to have a difficult labour
   B) it may cause a person to develop type 1 diabetes
   C) it may cause changes in blood glucose levels
    
4. What psychological effects might poor dental health have on a person?
   A) it may cause severe mental health problems
   B) it may cause pain and discomfort when eating
   C) it may cause a person to be socially isolated

Activity 4: Dialogue: Oral Health Assessment Tool

In pairs, play the part of two nurses (Nurse 1 and Nurse 2) who are talking about a new patient, Mrs June Pickering. Complete the form by putting a tick (✓) next to the correct information.

• Nurse 1: I’ve just spoken to our new patient, Mrs June Pickering, about her oral health. We can fill out the Oral Health Assessment Tool for her together now.
• Nurse 2: OK. What’s her oral health like?
• Nurse 1: She has a few problems which are affecting her at the moment.
• Nurse 2: That’s no good. Let’s start with her lips. What are they like?
• Nurse 1: They’re dry and quite chapped. We’ll need to put on lip balm every day for her.
• Nurse 2: OK. I’ll get her some from the pharmacy.
• Nurse 1: Next, her tongue. It’s red and coated.
• Nurse 2: That must make it difficult for her to swallow. She’ll need to use a mouthwash every day.
• Nurse 1: Yes. That would be helpful. Her gums are also not in a good condition. They’re shiny and red and she’s got a mouth ulcer.
• Nurse 2: That must be painful. I’ll get her some gel for that.
• Nurse 1: She’s got enough saliva in her mouth. It’s watery and healthy, so that’s good.
• Nurse 2: What about her teeth? Does she have her own teeth or does she wear dentures?
• Nurse 1: She wears dentures but her daughter says she only wears them one or two times a day.
• Nurse 2: Is that because they’re causing mouth pain?
• Nurse 1: Yes. Mrs Pickering told her daughter that the dentures are uncomfortable to wear. Her daughter says that she’s stopped eating very much and has lost quite a bit of weight.
• Nurse 2: That’s not good. I’ll make an appointment for her to see the dentist as soon as possible.