TY  - JOUR
AU  - Embaló, Bubacar
AU  - Canhete, Jhenyfer Amanda Ciriaco
AU  - da Cruz, Gabriel Schmitt
AU  - de Rossi Figueiredo, Daniela
AU  - Godoi, Heloisa
AU  - de Mello, Ana Lúcia Schaefer Ferreira
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/08/19
TI  - Home Dental Care to Homebound Older Adults in Primary Healthcare: A Mixed-Method Study
JO  - OBM Geriatrics
SP  - 341
VL  - 10
IS  - 03
AB  - The study aimed to understand the provision of home dental care for homebound older adults within the context of primary healthcare. A mixed-methods, concurrent, parallel, and cross-sectional study was conducted. Quantitative data were collected from 123 homebound older adults through structured questionnaires and oral examinations and analyzed using descriptive and bivariate statistics. Qualitative data were collected through interviews with 37 homebound older adults and/or caregivers and eight primary healthcare dentists and analyzed using Bardin’s content analysis. Data integration was conducted using a convergence-divergence matrix. Among the participants, 45.5% needed help with oral hygiene, 24.4% did not perform or receive daily oral hygiene, 17.9% had received home dental assistance provided by a dentist, and 32.5% reported difficulty accessing dental services. Daily oral hygiene was associated with sex, age, family income, unresolved oral health problems, and need for help with oral hygiene. The qualitative findings showed that homebound older adults reliaed on caregivers for daily care. At the same time, oral health was often not prioritized, inadequately supported, or limited by barriers in primary healthcare organizations. The integrated analysis showed convergence between frailty, functional dependence, caregiver reliance, and limited access to dental care. It also revealed a divergence between reported oral hygiene practices and poor clinical oral health. These findings indicate that home dental care for homebound older adults remains insufficiently integrated into primary healthcare. Structured domiciliary oral health protocols, caregiver guidance, periodic oral health assessment, and active participation of dental teams in home care are needed to improve comprehensive care for this vulnerable population.
SN  - 2638-1311
UR  - https://doi.org/10.21926/obm.geriatr.2603341
DO  - 10.21926/obm.geriatr.2603341
ID  - Embaló2026
ER  -