Mental health nursing student develops innovative research project to support patients’ dental needs

Student Olubunmi Kusimo, who is in the third year of a degree in mental health nursing, was on a placement when she spotted that inpatient adults with severe mental health conditions were often not having their oral hygiene looked after during stays in hospital.

Physical health checks made when patients were admitted to hospital failed to consider dental health, and some of the most seriously ill patients were often not taking good care of their teeth.

Inspired by a recent talk she’d attended at university about how nurses can get involved in research, Olubunmi decided to look into the issue further and see if she could help.

After speaking to tutors, she applied to take on a ‘research placement’, a new way of students learning by carrying out their own research into a topic that interests them. Her application was successful, and she was invited to be one of the first undergraduate nursing students at the university to do a placement of this type.

Olubunmi carried out a ‘rapid literature review’ of existing research and guidance on the topic, finding that people diagnosed with severe mental illness are almost three times more likely to experience complete tooth loss in comparison to the general population. A combination of factors are thought to be behind this, ranging from dental anxiety and lack of support to the effects of psychotropic drugs (such as anti-psychotic medication), which can cause patients to experience ‘dry mouth’, impacting on their dental hygiene.

Surprisingly, given how common dental problems are for people with mental health conditions, Olubunmi found that there are currently no guidelines for assessing oral health in individuals with severe mental health illness.

She concluded that assessing specific factors linked to oral health issues, like being prescribed psychotropic medication, tobacco use, or substance abuse, upon a patient's admission to a healthcare facility could help improve the situation for patients. Additionally, conducting a basic oral examination and providing essential oral hygiene tools, such as toothbrushes, along with instructions on their proper use, could contribute to improving oral health outcomes for individuals with severe mental illness.

Olubunmi said: “I found the experience of being exposed to the advantages of research to be very valuable – I had never really thought of getting involved in research before. I hope this project could improve the conditions of patients within the ward, and may lead to a notable improvement in their overall health. I want to thank all those at Salford who supported me in this project, and throughout my studies, particularly Emma Shearer, my personal tutor, who was instrumental in my journey.”

Associate Professor in Mental Health Nursing, Dr Gemma Trainor, who led the project to introduce research placements, said: “It is vital that we encourage more nurses to consider a career in research. The students who took part in these placements gained an insight into the importance of research and how it fits with practice, improving outcomes for patients and service users.”

Find out more about a career in mental health nursing and apply now on our website here.