Informal caregivers' perceptions of oral care and their association with the use of oral health services: A cross-sectional study among informal caregivers and their care recipients

Objective: This study aimed to describe informal caregivers' perceptions of the importance of oral care and investigate the association between these perceptions and the use of oral health services during the past year. Background: There is limited research on informal caregivers' perceptions of oral care. These perceptions presumably influence oral self-care along with caregivers' and care recipients' use of oral health services. Materials and Methods: Baseline data from the multidisciplinary Lifestyle, Nutrition, and Oral health in caregivers (LENTO) intervention study were analyzed. Informal caregivers (n = 125) and care recipients (n = 120)>= 65 years of age and living in Eastern Finland participated in the study. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. Results: A majority (81%) of the informal caregivers considered oral care very important. Informal caregivers who considered oral care very important had 10 or more years of education, and considered service fees reasonable were more likely to have visited oral health services during the past year than other caregivers. No association between informal caregivers' perceptions of oral care and care recipients' use of oral health services during the past year was observed. Conclusions: The study provides insight into informal caregivers' perceptions of oral care, with most informal caregivers considering oral care to be very important. Our findings support what has been reported in previous studies in that favorable perceptions of oral care are associated with oral health service visits. This association, however, did not hold true for care recipients' use of services.