Establishing an empirical conceptual model of oral health in dependent adults: Systematic review

Aim: This qualitative evidence synthesis was performed to establish a conceptual model of oral health in dependent adults that defines the construct of oral health and describes its interrelationships based on dependent adults’ and their caregivers’ experiences and views. Methods: Six bibliographic databases were searched: MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, OATD, and OpenGrey. Citations and reference lists were manually searched. A quality assessment of included studies was conducted independently by two reviewers using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) checklist. The ‘best fit’ framework synthesis method was applied. Data were coded against an a priori framework and data not captured by this framework were thematically analyzed. To assess the confidence of the findings from this review, the Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research (GRADE-CERQual) approach was used. Results: Twenty-seven eligible studies were included from 6126 retrieved studies. Four themes were generated to further understand oral health in dependent adults: oral health status, oral health impact, oral care, and oral health value. Conclusion: This synthesis and conceptual model offer a better understanding of oral health in dependent adults and subsequently provide a starting point to guide establishment of person-centred oral care interventions.