Exploring Oral Health Promotion Among Mental Health Providers: An Integrative Review.
Alisha Maree Johnson, Amanda Kenny, Lucie Ramjan and 2 others
PMID 39952794WHAT IT FOUND
Providers working in mental health often reported limited oral health knowledge, especially about medication effects and systemic links.
Oral health practices were inconsistent. Training gaps, time, resources and fragmented dental services were barriers.
Key findings
01Included studies reported limited oral health knowledge among mental health providers, especially about oral-systemic links and psychotropic medication effects.
02Oral health practices were inconsistent, with many providers rarely giving oral health advice despite some assisting with mouth cleaning.
03Guidelines and expert consensus statements gave direction on oral health screening and referral follow-up.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The review included many different provider groups, so it cannot say how nurses, doctors, occupational therapists or support workers differ. Most included studies and all guidelines were from high-income countries, so findings may not apply where dental services are less accessible. Only English-language studies were included. No article or guideline was excluded for poor quality, and one guideline was assessed as low quality. The review reports provider knowledge, attitudes and practices, not patient oral health outcomes.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that oral health advice or screening by mental health providers improves oral health outcomes. The review reports provider knowledge, attitudes, practices and guideline recommendations, not patient outcomes.