[Assessment scales for nursing assessment of the mouth. A literature review]

Abstract

Especially in patients which are at risk for transformations of the oral soft tissue the importance of an oral assessment is stressed by many authors. The application of an assessment instrument enables a diagnosis related decision of the care measures which have to be taken. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the measures can be assessed and it is an important research instrument. An assessment instrument gives support and safety to the practitioner in his decisions and simplifies a precise documentation. In the literature, more than 40 assessment methods and instruments to assess the oral health status could be found. Only a few of them are validated. Concerning the assessment criteria, there was no consensus between the authors. There is no agreement if subjective perceptions of the patient should be included in the assessment. Based on available validity characteristics, recommendations for assessment methods which are suitable for patients in geriatrics, intensive care and specific tumor therapy are given.